One Meridian Plaza on fire. Image from The Arizona Republic

YIMBY Revisits the Deconstruction of One Meridian Plaza in Center City

During the 1960s and 1970s, multiple developments with massive amounts of office space, occupied by banking firms in particular, were constructed in Center City Philadelphia. Most of these developments featured a light brown Brutalist exterior with contrasting dark glass. Among the first such structures built was One Meridian Plaza, located at 1416 South Penn Square, which stood 492 feet and 38 stories. Designed by Vincent Kling & Associates (later known as KlingStubbins, now part of JACOBS) and developed by the Girard Bank and Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance, the tower started construction in 1968 and was completed in 1972, and featured the light brown stone cladding commonly seen during the period, along with rows of dark glass leading up to the bay windows at the top. The skyscraper eventually met its tragic demise in 1991, and was deconstructed in the following years in a process that YIMBY revisits in today’s feature.

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2020 North 22nd Street, Looking west. November 2020. Credit: Google Maps

15-Unit Building Proposed at 2022 North 22nd Street in North Philadelphia West

A three-story, 15-unit apartment building is proposed at 2022 North 22nd Street in North Philadelphia West. The development will replace a vacant lot on the west side of the block between West Norris and West Diamond streets. Designed by Kore Design, the building will span 13,696 square feet and feature several roof decks, a green roof, and full sprinkling. Permits list Kumas Homes as the contractor and a construction cost of $550,000.

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2100 Hamilton Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022

Construction Complete at 2100 Hamilton in Logan Square

A recent site visit by Philadelphia YIMBY has confirmed that construction work has wrapped up at 2100 Hamilton, a ten-story, 27-unit condominium at 2100 Hamilton Street in Logan Square (alternately Baldwin Park or Franklintown). Designed by Cecil Baker + Partners and developed by the Bock Development Group, with Ernest Bock & Sons as the contractor, the glass-clad structure rises 125 square feet tall and spans 25,802 square feet, and offers its residents perks such as a fitness center, underground parking, and a half-acre roof. Floor-to-ceiling windows lend unobstructed views in many directions, while balconies allow for private outdoor space in most units. Permits list a construction cost of $30 million.

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2018 rendering of 1000 Spring Garden Street via TheCondoShops

Foundations Underway at 1000 Spring Garden Street in Callowhill, Lower North Philadelphia

A recent site visit by Philadelphia YIMBY has discovered that foundation work has largely been completed at an eight-story, 21-unit mixed-use development at 1000 Spring Garden Street in Callowhill, Lower North Philadelphia. Designed by Harman Deutsch Ohler Architecture and developed by KT Investments, the building will span 19,504 square feet and feature commercial space (likely at the ground floor), elevator service, bicycle storage, a roof deck, and full sprinkling. Permits list LIU Construction as the contractor and a construction cost of $2.25 million.

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