Philadelphia skyline lit up from South Philadelphia. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Observing the New Lighting Schemes in the Philadelphia Skyline

Last month, Philadelphia YIMBY reported on new lighting schemes that are decorating the nighttime skyline. Though it was already known that One Liberty Place at 1650 Market Street and the W/Element Hotel at 1441 Chestnut Street, both located in Center City, are having their lighting tested, both now feature together in the skyline, with new programming visible to the residents of the city. The lights on One Liberty Place, which used to be dimmer and had sections of the lighting noticeably lit a different color, the lights have now been fixed and brightened. The W/Element Hotel used to be a dark skyscraper in the night time skyline with just the aviation warning lights noticeable, but now the skyscraper is lit up nearly as much as the FMC Tower in University City.

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Permits Issued for Parking Garage at East Market Phase 3 in Market East, Center City

Permits have been issued for the parking garage at 1101-53 Chestnut Street, part of the East Market Phase 3 development in Market East, Center City. The garage will be situated underground beneath the two future towers with three levels of underground parking and 300 parking spaces, which will be shared between the two superstructures. t will include 37 compact parking spots with 15 spaces for preferential parking, as well as 15 electric vehicle spaces with chargers and eight ADA spaces, where two will be van-accessible. The garage will total 156,456 square feet and cost an estimated $42,357,933 to construct.

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Credit: KCA Design Associates.

Renderings Revealed for 104-Unit Development at 1631 South 52nd Street in Kingsessing, Southwest Philadelphia

Renderings have been revealed for a two-building, 104-unit multi-family development proposed at 1631 South 52nd Street in KingsessingSouthwest Philadelphia. Building A will hold 40 residential units, with 28,660 square feet of space will be reserved for residential space and an additional 14,330 square feet for amenity, circulation, and building support space. Building B, will include 64 residential units, with 70,288 square feet of residential space and 30,000 square feet of amenity, circulation, and building support space. Designed by KCA Design Associates, the development will also include 46 parking spaces, with two set to be ADA accessible, two reserved for car share spaces, three for electric vehicles and one to be used as a loading space. Each building will also include 13 bike spaces for a total of 26. The structures will each stand five stories tall.

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Girard Trust Building from City Hall. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Taking a Look at The Girard Trust Building at 28-32 South Broad Street in Center City

At the end of the 1920s, right before the Great Depression, builders in Philadelphia had proposed several high-rise banks, which were constructed rapidly in the coming years. One of such towers was the Girard Trust Building at 28-32 South Broad Street, which stands just to the south of City Hall in Center City to the east of the site where One Meridian Plaza would later stand. Designed by Furness, Evans & Co. and McKim, Mead & White, which McKim, Mead & White, the latter being the architect for the old Penn Station in New York City, the skyscraper rises 394 feet and 30 stories tall. The structure was completed in 1931, the same year as the Empire State Building.

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Renderings Revealed for 55-Unit Building at 1426 North 6th Street in Ludlow, North Philadelphia

Renderings have been revealed for a multi-family development proposed at 1426 North 6th Street in LudlowNorth Philadelphia. Designed by Cicada Architecture and Planning, the development will offer 55 total residential units, with 24 reserved as family units and the other 31 set aside for senior citizens. The development will include 41,000 square feet of space for residential use. Additionally, 1,975 square feet of space will be used for a community room, 550 square feet for laundry space, and 550 square feet for office space. The project will als15 parking spaces, with two set to be accessible. There will also be space for 12 bicycles, with eight for the family units and another four reserved for the senior units.

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