Breaking News: 1500-foot Tower at 1800 Arch? - Page 4 - PhillyBlog

MayfairMeat · #31 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eselba

I'm a little confused on the height. Is it 63 stories? If so, why are some people saying it will be "technically" taller than the Sears Tower? Isn't that 100+ stories?

The spire is structurally a part of the building, but it will not hold any floors.

Actually, and this number will change... WPVI is saying 89 or 90 stories. The real number of course won't ever be known until everything is approved and gets blessings by all the city politicians and wanabees.

Hospitalitygirl · #32 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by logansquare

As a logan square resident, I think you are all correct. Fundamentally the LSNA, nor the whiners in the soviet bloc (Kennedy House; Sterling; etc...), will be able to block this. There is no more appropriate place for this in the city, it would get rid of one of the largest surface lots in center city, and is surrounded by big buildings.

I think the biggest problem is Darrel Clarke's 'spot zoning' last year of this area for the 125' limit (WHICH IS SUCH A JOKE IT MAKES MY HEAD STEAM). It is unclear to me whether that is easily overthrown, because of the way in which it was done. Of course, by extension this spot-zoning gives the LSNA (via their control over Clarke) some power.

It would be good if someone more knowledgeable could address the likelihood/ability to throw-out that zoning?

It is important to point out, that if Clarke had not introduced that little piece of regressive, old-school, philly-style legislation, that these folks likely could have built almost anything they would have wanted.

So how do we get rid of councilmanic privilege? The Zoning Code Commission's term is about to expire, and they have asked for a 2 year extension of their term. These are the pieces needed to encourage this sort of building without having to go through extraordinary hoops.

eselba · #33 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastChestnut

The spire is structurally a part of the building, but it will not hold any floors.

Actually, and this number will change... WPVI is saying 89 or 90 stories. The real number of course won't ever be known until everything is approved and gets blessings by all the city politicians and wanabees.

Thanks! That's awesome. A parking lot for a 90 story skyscraper?...wow. What's WPVI?

MayfairMeat · #34 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 09:38 AM

If you add in the proposed superblock SET of towers proposed to go at 12/Chestnut, and now this MEGA skyscraper at 18/Arch... this place will get bizzy downtown like freakin' Chicago.

I love it.

I cannot wait for this thing to go up. I wish the construction could begin NOW.

NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!

Swinefeld · #35 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 09:40 AM

Giant skyscraper proposed
Tower would be taller than the Empire State Building
Philadelphia Business Journal - by Natalie Kostelni Staff Writer

A local developer is proposing to construct an $800 million, 2.2 million-square-foot skyscraper on what is now a surface parking lot at 18th and Arch streets in Center City.

The 63-story building would stand 1,500 feet high, surpassing the new Comcast Center, which at 1,000 feet tall is the city's tallest structure. The proposed tower would even be taller than the Empire State Building.

"It would be an iconic structure," said Garrett Miller, president of Walnut Street Capital. "This is something Philadelphia has not seen before."

Walnut Street Capital, a Philadelphia development company, and a pension fund from Washington state are allying to develop the project. The pension fund, which has $6.18 billion in assets, is financing the project, Miller said. This enables the project to skirt around the current credit crunch that is starting to put a damper on commercial projects.

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_ima...00-0.jpg?rev=2

MayfairMeat · #36 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hospitalitygirl

So how do we get rid of councilmanic privilege? The Zoning Code Commission's term is about to expire, and they have asked for a 2 year extension of their term. These are the pieces needed to encourage this sort of building without having to go through extraordinary hoops.

Oh that's easy. Do you want an extension? Then approve the building.

There, that was easy.

I believe the tower will also be officially taller than the Sears Tower, because you can't count the TV antenna on top of the Sears into the total height. Isn't the roof height of the Sears Tower at 1451 feet?

A 1500' tower will trump it.

So technically (at least for a while if we build now)... Philadelphia will regain the title of having the tallest building in America.

MayfairMeat · #37 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swinefeld

Walnut Street Capital, a Philadelphia development company, and a pension fund from Washington state are allying to develop the project. The pension fund, which has $6.18 billion in assets, is financing the project, Miller said. This enables the project to skirt around the current credit crunch that is starting to put a damper on commercial projects.

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_ima...00-0.jpg?rev=2

OK, they have the money. And this is a Philly developer. Get it? This is local. It's not a Chinese business coming in from Hong Kong or somewhere and has no knowledge of the dynamics of this city. Dey be Philly guys working on this project.

The unions will love it. The City will be inundated with tax money. And the project has tons of moolah to build the thing, and there is still enough office market to fill up the building with tenants and the commercial rent will still be relatively CHEAP--good for companies who want a cheap downtown location that is world-class.

Someone find a gun (that shouldn't be hard here)... point it at the developer, and tell them to start construction right NOW.

NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!

DCnPhilly · #38 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 09:50 AM

I second that motion. This building gives me goose bumps.

START NOW!!!

HogIslandGrip · #39 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 09:50 AM

Actually, East, the Zoning Code Commission will have nothing to do with approving any variances for this, or any project. Their mission is to rewrite the entire zoning code, and they're still in what I'll call the research phase, it looks like, hence the need for the two year extension.

lutton · #40 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 09:54 AM

WPVI: the call letters local channel 6 ABC.