Contact REIT, they manage the buildings in question(Center Sq) . My wife works in Centre Square One and as far as she has heard the condo issue is a rumor. However once Comcast vacates the buildings when their tower is complete there might be some credence to the rumors. They would be mixed use towers like Liberty One is going to be.

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"i live my life in the city"

That part is absolutely true (and widely publicized); work on re-aligning clothespin the stairs has been underway for at least a couple weeks and was announced months ago. As to a condo conversion, no such thing has been announced.

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Cheers,
Jayfar
--
“I am indeed well aware of the history of Conventional (sic) Hall, both globally and locally, and can assure you that we are carefully exploring avenues for its future.” -- Penn President Amy Gutmann 5 days before demolition began.

...i sure hope those condo rumors aren't true, i know our business sector's suffering a bit but such a prime location thats meant for offices being converted to housing? oy....

They aren't.

The management office in the West Tower hasn't had any obvious signs in there that they are gearing up for a condo conversion (like literature hanging in the office, etc).

I'm sure if they decide to go that way then it will make it in the business section of the Inky, and it would cause some concern for businesses in either Tower that they couldn't negotiate better leases since the available space that gets freed when Comcast moves out will be sold off.

The building is already being upgraded to keep its Class-A status and make it more attractive. The lobby already looks WORLDS better than it did when it first opened. The space and the views are nicer than what is in the PNC Bank tower immediately behind it. The new elevators are also rather nice.

A lot of skyscraper workers use the El to get in, and having a direct connection to the platforms in the lower lobby still make this building attractive, specially to a lot of people who live in OC, Society Hill, NL and Fishtown.

I would love it if the City would renovate the section of the concourse it owns one day. The Penn side already looks great.

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WHYY pays their CEO $750,000 a year. So WHYY should I renew my membership? Seems they have no problems finding money and spending it unwisely.


And this is why you should donate to PACCA, not PETA:

In September, PETA made headlines in Vermont and across the nation for asking Ben & Jerry's ice cream to use human breast milk in their ice cream, instead of cow milk

....okay, i was super confused about what was going on there---i guess all this jersey shore wind (and mimosas from earlier) is making me a little confused about....everything.

Ugh, the commute tomorrow will be horrible---hangover, Garden State Parkway traffic, heat, forgot to bring a CD for the drive to town, damn.

BTW, EastChestnut, do you work in Center Square? Hows it inside? I've been woring in town for ages and have never been in the building or the concourse.

No I work a couple blocks away. I have to visit CSQ on biz frequently.

The interior was very 1970's-economy bleak, like almost any other kind of Brutalist building... the interiors have rather subdued lighting. Very dark muted interior (even with that big skylight).

The retaining wall which holds the mezzanine elevator bank has been recladded with very bright materials and there will be a lot more of it in the lobby to brighten up the interior. The dark interior absolutely kills retail, so this is a bonus.

The businesses on the lower concourse level will probably see some reduced business. I think there is a salon or three and a dentists office which is underneath the clothespin. It is hard to move around down there when it is busy because of the construction barriers and people aren't used to the clothespin being closed off.

With the new changes the security desks in the lobby for each tower have new fancy signage "WEST TOWER / EAST TOWER" and they have the computer-speaking elevators which are faster than the old ones (according to tenants).

The exterior signage all over the structure is being replaced. And yeah, the concourse level is being completely remodeled, including the underground area which connects to the tunnel that runs on top of the trolley tracks by the Ritz-Carlton.

This was typically an area for hucksters who were schlepping their cheap wares (CDs, roses, scented oil, etc). That has been booted out temporarily while the space is being remodeled.

It's previous use as a public space for general loitering has been severely disrupted until the renovation work is done. I think there are only a couple of spots left to play chess, the rest has been chained off. I'm eager to see what it is going to look like when it is finished.

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WHYY pays their CEO $750,000 a year. So WHYY should I renew my membership? Seems they have no problems finding money and spending it unwisely.


And this is why you should donate to PACCA, not PETA:

In September, PETA made headlines in Vermont and across the nation for asking Ben & Jerry's ice cream to use human breast milk in their ice cream, instead of cow milk

...the interior of Aramark Tower ain't a basket of roses either, but at least Center Sq has a good location, as opposed to Aramark where the hucksters are much more numerous and the public spaces for chess and whatnot dont exist at all. To top it off, the air conditioning in my office is malfunctioning

Which is exactly why, as i stare at the atlantic ocean on my laptop, i'm dreading the morning commute even more.

I think it is funny how Aramark employees work somewhat like they are in a prison, since any exit in or out of the building lands them in the chaos of Market East.

There is craziness on the other side of City Hall, but it is nowhere near as chaotic as it is between 13th Street and 5th Street everyday.

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WHYY pays their CEO $750,000 a year. So WHYY should I renew my membership? Seems they have no problems finding money and spending it unwisely.


And this is why you should donate to PACCA, not PETA:

In September, PETA made headlines in Vermont and across the nation for asking Ben & Jerry's ice cream to use human breast milk in their ice cream, instead of cow milk

...your absolutely right, but i do consider myself lucky that i don't have to work in the hot-as-hell kitchens of the employees who do work in cafeterias at schools, prisons, office complexes, etc. I'm director of purchasing, and everytime i try to budget some relief for the caf ladies and gents (aka air conditioners and water coolers) i get turned down.

But on the brightside of working there is the free entertainment---people-watching on Market East is priceless.

wow, philly is really on the come up. but it would be wonderful to attract other businesses to the city besides real estate and construction.