from: http://citypaper.net/articles/2003-0...tyspace2.shtml

After months of wrangling between developer Jeffrey M. Brown Associates of Huntington Valley and the Old City Civic Association (OCCA), the two parties have agreed on a series of compromises that will allow construction to begin on a controversial high-rise apartment building at 108 Arch St. The 160-foot building will dwarf other buildings in the neighborhood where new construction is now limited to a 65-foot height limit. (For perspective, the nearby Society Hill Towers are 292 feet tall.)

Under the agreement reached last week, OCCA will drop its appeal of the developer's building permit. (The 108 Arch St. site was zoned before the height limit went into effect.) Many Old City residents wanted to stop the project altogether, but realizing that that was unlikely, the group decided to compromise. Their agreement lays out a slew of requirements for the developer -- everything from what building materials can be used to which hours noisy construction can take place. As for the controversial height, the agreement mandates that the "height of the building is 160 feet to the highest mechanical equipment," so no extra water towers or cable antennae can be tacked on.

Am I the only one who thinks the idea of a 40 story building being allowed in old city laughable? I am laughing again right now at the thought of it.

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Can’t we all just get a lawn?

you got 45 stories in the neighborhood just next door (St. James)...so who knows...

Trust me Londoner-not going to happen, not in our lifetime.

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Can’t we all just get a lawn?

Londoner, the St. James is in Wash West, not Old City. Different height limit.

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"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."

Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

I think the developers did a wonderful job on 108 Arch. This city needs more buildings like that. Located along I-95, I don't think it is too out of place.

Coming back from N.J. on the BF bridge today I noticed a large new building under construction that is beginning to rise above the others. It was south of the bridge in old city. Anyone know which one that is?

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Can’t we all just get a lawn?

The National? York Square?

It was too far south of the bridge to be York Square. It might be the National but I didn't think that would be taller then it's neighbors the way this building is.

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Can’t we all just get a lawn?

Hmmm, the parts of the National that they are working on right now are 6 and 10 stories. And York Square is north of the bridge, so I'm an idiot on that one. Maybe the Beaumont on Front St? Did it have a windowless facade?