Supertall

Revisiting Visionary Plans for a 30th Street Station District Plan Supertall in University City, West Philadelphia

8:00 am on March 18, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Several years ago, plans have been revealed for a major megadevelopment to be built on a new deck above the Amtrak railyard on the banks of the Schuylkill River in University City, West Philadelphia. The project is called the Philadelphia 30th Street Station District Plan, as the first phase includes restoration of the historic 30th Street Station. Designed by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill and developed by Plenary Infrastructure Philadelphia, the master plan shows a large number of high-rises and a supertall skyscraper that would become the tallest, or one of the tallest, buildings in the city.

Center City Tower rendering with Liberty Place. Image via Kling Lindquist

A Look Back at Center City Tower, Once Planned as the City’s First Supertall Skyscraper

8:00 am on March 2, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the late 1990’s, a massive supertall was planned at the site of the 492-foot-tall One Meridian Plaza, an office skyscraper damaged by a fatal fire in 1991 and demolished in 1999. The proposed Center City Tower at 1414 South Penn Square in Center City would have been built where The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton and the under-construction W/Element Hotel currently stand. Designed by Kling Lindquist, the 1,050-foot tower would have become the first supertall skyscraper in Philadelphia, rather than the Comcast Technology Center, which took the title 20 years later. Notably, Comcast was also considering taking office space at Center City Tower, and the cable company’s decision to pull out of the project and to build Comcast Center at 17th and Arch Street instead was a major reason behind the supertall’s cancellation.

Philadelphia World Trade Center looking northeast. Model by Thomas Koloski

Revisiting the Unbuilt Philadelphia World Trade Center Supertall Proposal

8:00 am on February 27, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In 1988, plans were revealed for a 1,050-foot-tall, 65-story Philadelphia World Trade Center supertall at 456 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard on the Northern Liberties waterfront. The tower would have stood just to the north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, located close to the boundary between North Philadelphia and Center City. The plan, which later evolved to the World Trade Square project, consisted of three shorter high-rises alongside the main tower. The skyscraper was designed by Kling Lindquist, which was also bend the Bell Atlantic Tower and the unbuilt Center City Tower. Carl Marks Real Estate Team, along with Lance Silver and Stuart Harting, were the developers.

American Commerce Center rendering via Kohn Pendersen Fox

The Story of the American Commerce Center, Once Planned as Philadelphia’s Tallest Tower

8:00 am on February 10, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

During the construction of the first Comcast Center tower, many wondered whether the 975-foot-tall skyscraper would rank as the city’s tallest for much longer. Just a few months before the former’s topping out, details were released about the American Commerce Center at 1800 Arch Street, a proposal that stunned many development watchers with its 1,510-foot height. The project was being developed by Hill International Real Estate Partners and designed by Kohn Pendersen Fox, a firm that is also behind the 792-foot-tall Mellon Bank Center, currently the city’s fifth-tallest building, and Arthaus, a 542-foot-tall skyscraper currently under construction. The development was ultimately canceled and the 1,121-foot-tall Comcast Technology Center was built at the site.

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