W/Element Hotel from City Hall. Photo by Thomas Koloski

W/Element Hotel Lighting Sparkles as Construction Nears Completion at 1439 Chestnut Street in Center City

Construction is nearly complete at the W/Element Hotel, a 617-foot-tall, 52-story skyscraper that stands at 1439 Chestnut Street (alternately 1441 Chestnut Street) in Center City. Designed by Cope-Linder Architects and developed by Chestlen Development, the dual-branded tower holds a total of 755 hotel rooms. Tutor Perini is the general contractor, and The Lighting Practice is responsible for the vertical strips of that light up at night.

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Current view of 3701 Sepviva Street. Credit: Google.

Permits Issued for Multi-Family Renovation at 3701 Sepviva Street in Port Richmond, Kensington

Permits have been issued for a large-scale change of use and renovation of a four-story industrial building at 3701 Sepviva Street in Port Richmond, Kensington. The structure will house 90 residential units as well as ten commercial spaces on the ground floor. Five surface parking spaces will be included in the project, with one set to be van accessible, as well as 30 bicycle spaces. A roof deck will also be added to the top, with multiple new access structures. In total, the building will hold 78,832 square feet of interior space. The conversion will cost an estimated $5 million to undergo.

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Philadelphia skyline 2017 from New Jersey. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking Back At Developments Under Construction In 2017

Philadelphia has had certain key years when skyscraper construction saw a notable surge, when many developments were underway at the same time. For instance, much of the current Center City skyline took form in and just after 1987. Another key year for construction took place in 2017, when various high-rise projects spanned multiple neighborhoods. Most of these developments stood under 500 feet, with some barely noticeable from afar, yet others added significant bulk to the skyline. The tallest skyscraper under construction was the Comcast Technology Center, the city’s first supertall tower and still the city’s tallest building. In this publication Philadelphia YIMBY looks back to when this collection of developments was underway four years ago.

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