I searched for the old thread re this development but I think it was lost with the shuffle.

To summarize, there was floated a proposal to build a 40-something story condo building at the old New Market site on Headhouse Square. Since then, the project has been more defined and the developer is now saying it'll be 20-something stories.

Anyway, as I predicted, the NIMBYs are all up in arms. Not only that, but one of them is preparing to match funds for fighting this proposal up to $100K. The basis for the fight? You guessed it, this city's ridiculous height restrictions! That site is zoned only for 11 floors.

http://citypaper.net/articles/2005-03-17/canon.shtml

While I do agree that having a tall building at that spot will be odd to say the least, it really isn't any taller than the Society Hill Towers where, I suppose, many of the NIMBYs live. Once again, this is true Philadelphian attempt to put the city in a cryogenic preservation mode. The amount of anger that is greeting this proposal jsut shows how anti-anything-new many people here are. At least hear the guy otu before proposing spending 100K on fighting the proposal!!!!