Community Support is Needed.
Please alert friends by e-mail
and give them the URL:

http://phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=109989


Please post some comments which can be used as some evidence
of community involvement and approval/disapproval.


Joel



***


http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/...30/story3.html

Old City civic group balking at planned 14-story add-on

Natalie Kostelni

Staff Writer

A New York developer that owns the Lafayette Building at 5th and Chestnut streets across from Independence Hall is proposing to add 14 stories on top of the existing structure and convert the bigger building into condos and a boutique hotel.



Northern Group initially proposed adding 20 stories atop of the building. After meeting with community groups, those plans were revised. The structure currently stands 10 stories and has 195,000 square feet of office space.
The existing building was constructed in 1907 for the Girard Estate as offices.
In addition to expanding the building upward, the project would include using the first-floor space to house tourism operations, such as an historical interpretive program, or even a new library branch. The basement floors would be converted into parking, said Gil Rosenthal, a principal with Wallace Roberts Todd, a Philadelphia architectural firm hired by Northern Group.

While the building is used as offices, the market for Class B office space has dwindled, prompting many similar buildings to undergo conversions to meet a demand for condos and downtown residential living. Northern Group wants to seize on such market conditions in this case.

The conversion of the Lafayette would fill a void of residential space on Independence Mall. It would establish a new and coveted address in the city's historic district. While that concept doesn't offend the building's neighbors, the idea of extending the building to such heights has.

Richard Thom, vice president of the Old City Civic Association and chairman of its developments committee, said his group has "serious reservations" about it, adding that the mall has a certain scale and character.

"A reasonable addition to the building would be accepted by the community," Thom said. "This kind of proposal is the beginning of the end because it's so over the top."

The National Park Service has reviewed preliminary plans but has not taken a position on the project, said Phil Sheridan, spokesman for the park service. The park service is waiting to view the final proposal and assess the visual impact from various points, such as Independence Hall, before taking a formal stand on it.

Current zoning doesn't allow for such an addition, said Peter Kelsen, an attorney with Blank Rome LLP representing the developer. Because of that, Northern Group has sought input from neighborhood groups and the park service, as well as the historical and planning commission.

"Hopefully, we can come to a point where there is a consensus," Kelsen said. "My challenge is to come back with the architect and design a plan with the right scale and right look."

Other details, such as its cost, number of condos and hotel rooms, haven't been hammered out and depend on the final design. No time frame has been set for a formal submission to the zoning board of adjustment or planning commission.

nkostelni@bizjournals.com | 215-238-5139

© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.

__________________

HERE IS MY SAMPLE e-mail that I am sending to civic associations.
Please copy, edit, and pass this around town.

Your support and your comments are needed. If and when the
Zoning Board of Appeals approves a thirty or forty story building
in your neighborhood because of lack of community protest, you
may regret not joining this simple community coalition.

We need thousands of comments to this thread!
Your help is required!


Joely



***

MY E-MAIL

**



oldcityarts@hotmail.com, jmgocca@hotmail.com



06/14/2005
Hello!

We are gathering opinions and discussions from all over Philadelphia
concerning the proposed height increase for the Lafayeete Building.
Please altert your e-mail list participants and get them to
post on the record.

Joel M. Eichen
Society Hill

joeleichen@yahoo.com

**


Lafayette Bldg was 10 but going to 24 stories
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Community Support is Needed.
Please alert friends by e-mail
and give them the URL:

http://phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=109989

Please post some comments which can be used as some evidence
of community involvement and approval/disapproval.

Joel

***

http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com.../30/story3.html
Old City civic group balking at planned 14-story add-on
Natalie Kostelni
Staff Writer

A New York developer that owns the Lafayette Building at 5th and Chestnut streets across from Independence Hall is proposing to add 14 stories on top of the existing structure and convert the bigger building into condos and a boutique hotel.

Northern Group initially proposed adding 20 stories atop of the building. After meeting with community groups, those plans were revised. The structure currently stands 10 stories and has 195,000 square feet of office space.
The existing building was constructed in 1907 for the Girard Estate as offices.
In addition to expanding the building upward, the project would include using the first-floor space to house tourism operations, such as an historical interpretive program, or even a new library branch. The basement floors would be converted into parking, said Gil Rosenthal, a principal with Wallace Roberts Todd, a Philadelphia architectural firm hired by Northern Group.

While the building is used as offices, the market for Class B office space has dwindled, prompting many similar buildings to undergo conversions to meet a demand for condos and downtown residential living. Northern Group wants to seize on such market conditions in this case.

The conversion of the Lafayette would fill a void of residential space on Independence Mall. It would establish a new and coveted address in the city's historic district. While that concept doesn't offend the building's neighbors, the idea of extending the building to such heights has.

Richard Thom, vice president of the Old City Civic Association and chairman of its developments committee, said his group has "serious reservations" about it, adding that the mall has a certain scale and character.

"A reasonable addition to the building would be accepted by the community," Thom said. "This kind of proposal is the beginning of the end because it's so over the top."

The National Park Service has reviewed preliminary plans but has not taken a position on the project, said Phil Sheridan, spokesman for the park service. The park service is waiting to view the final proposal and assess the visual impact from various points, such as Independence Hall, before taking a formal stand on it.

Current zoning doesn't allow for such an addition, said Peter Kelsen, an attorney with Blank Rome LLP representing the developer. Because of that, Northern Group has sought input from neighborhood groups and the park service, as well as the historical and planning commission.

"Hopefully, we can come to a point where there is a consensus," Kelsen said. "My challenge is to come back with the architect and design a plan with the right scale and right look."

Other details, such as its cost, number of condos and hotel rooms, haven't been hammered out and depend on the final design. No time frame has been set for a formal submission to the zoning board of adjustment or planning commission.

nkostelni@bizjournals.com | 215-238-5139
© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.
__________________

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last edited by Joely : Today at 04:19 PM.

__________________

Here's the other thread on the LaFayette Building:

http://phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?t=7976

__________________
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.

Thanks for the pointer Jayfar.


Perhaps others will follow it too.

Joel

JUST RECEIVED BY E-MAIL


Joel,
Just found your message on www.northernliberties.org..
This was the first I’ve heard of the idea to add 14 stories to the Lafayette Building.

Since this proposal would more than double the current height of the building, my concern is for the safety of Independence Hall. A proposal of this nature involves a splicing of structural integrities. I would be reluctant to endorse the idea of creating a tall building with overlapping structural integrities in a spot where its vertical dimension – if extended horizontally – would intersect with any portion of Independence Hall.

It’s one thing for a ten story building to be adjacent to Independence Hall, because that structure has a complete structural integrity. Quite another for a hybrid building to be created adjacent to Independence Hall, using that existing structure as a “base”. It just seems inappropriate.

Any potential development that could pose a physical threat to Independence Hall should be discouraged. That’s the way I see it.

name omitted by Joel
Northern Liberties

__________________

Is it 10 or 14 stories they want to add to the proposed hotel? I am confused.

Lafayette Building is ten and the developer ORIGINALLY wanted
to add another twenty making for a total of 30 stories. This
monstrosity would be kater-corner from Independence Hall and
the Liberty Bell.

After much objection, the developer said, "Oh okay. Then we will
only add a measly fourteen stories making for a teensy-weensy
total of twenty-four!"

Joel

__________________

aside from the height of the building, i like the idea of having a boutique hotel and residences on the mall...it's a nice idea, though im not sure why you would want to spend what will undoubtedly be millions of dollars on a condo in the middle of tourist-town...

i think everyone agrees that the building is a bit too high, i would also hope that the developers give some sort of explanation as to how much the construction process will disrupt the activities of the area...

This is a common theme and it needs to be addressed. Let's say
there is a 521 building height imposed by City of Philadelphia code.

A number of developers think a site is worth ten million dollars.
Another developer bids $13 million and he gets the property. Is
he completely nuts? Nope.

Most likely he has something in his pocket, so to say.

What is there?

The knowledge that the Zoning Board of Appeals, five people
by the way, John Street appointees, will create a variance that
allows the building to extend skyward to 615 feet.

Who wins, who loses?

The residents who are now living in a concrete canyon are the losers.

Now translate that same theme downward from high rises to
tax-free properties, to whether vents can exit into easement spaces.

That is what hurts Philadelphia residents. All of us. Our time will come.


Joely

__________________

Oh my god! This is total tall-building-alarmist-fear-mongering-cliche city! "Concrete canyon"? Buildings falling on Independence Hall? 30 and 40 story buildings popping up randomly in folks neighborhoods?

1) 24 stories is not so tall.

2) There are already several 20-30 story buildings within 2 blocks of the site, some rather old, that have somehow managed to avoid destroying the humanity of the area.

3) Investors do not invest millions in 24 story buildings if there is any remote concern that it might happen to topple over. When was the last time something like this happened anwhere in the industrialized world? Are you crazy?

4) Whose "neighborhood" is 5th & Chestnut? Noone LIVES within a few blocks in any direction. OCCA really ought not have much say in this particular matter. We'd all be better served if they devoted their energy to complaining about the myriad current property owners in Old City proper who are neglecting their properties left and right, creating fire hazards and threats to historic structures.

5) For all the fearful chatter of 40-story buildings sprouting up like weeds in folks' back yards, so far all it's ALL talk. Right now there are fifty proposals out there for 40 story condo buildings. But barely a single shovel has yet been lifted. We'll be lucky of two or three get built before the market tanks. Souless concrete canyons are the figment of alarmist rabble-rouser imagination. This is not reality. I get the feeling you guys actually really want to believe that Philly could turn into NYC overnight unless you community heroes were there to battle the evil developers. Philly won't become NY or anything like it, regardless of your fear-mongering. This is PHILLY. Don't overinflate its importance or potential.

6) There is a reason you do not ordinarily see 15-story buildings buildt on top of existing buildings: its VERY expensive. This project is very unlikely to be cost effective, so of all the proposals out there, I wouldn't worry much about it.

I hope they build it.