Spring Break
American Commerce Center will reach 1500 feet
Jordan Osecki
Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: News
The Walnut Street Capital plans to build the American Commerce Center, a 1,500-foot tall building on what is currently a surface parking lot in Center City, according to PhillySkyline.com.
The president of WSC, Garrett Miller, acquired the surface parking lot at 1800 Arch St., one block away from the newly-built 975-foot Comcast Center, in October 2007. According to the article, Miller said he envisioned a major mixed-use building and brought on world-renowned architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox to achieve it.
KPF designed the US Airways terminal at the Philadelphia airport, Huntsman Hall at Wharton, the Mellon Bank Center, Two Logan Square, One Logan Square, and the Four Seasons Hotel. The President of KPF is from Philadelphia and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in the 1950s.
KPF is also accustomed to designing tall buildings and is currently designing what will be the new tallest buildings in Shanghai (1,588 feet tall) and Hong Kong (1,608 feet tall).
The American Commerce Center will contain a 26-story hotel that tops off at 473 feet with a garden on top, three to six stories of street-accessible retail with another public garden, a 63-story office tower that is 1,210 feet tall and a spire that reaches 1,500 feet tall. The building will also have underground parking, and will be certified in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, making it environmentally friendly.
"While the vision of the building is to engage the pedestrian - to engage Philadelphia - at the street level, we also want the tower to be a symbol of our collective aspiration and hope. We want it to be seen from far away, literally and figuratively," Miller told PhillySkyline.com.
Miller said that partners have been established for funding and the lot was purchased completely on equity.
However, there may be some issues with zoning.
While the site is zoned with no height restriction, the building will have a large floor area, which has to be rezoned. Councilman Darrell Clarke, representative for the district, declined to comment. However, Rob Stuart, President of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, said that the height is not as important as how it meets the street, and that the developer has "done his homework" in that respect.
WSC is going to hold community forums with the neighbors to address their concerns in the coming months. According to PhillySkyline.com, construction could possibly begin in the summer of 2009, barring setbacks.
The president of WSC, Garrett Miller, acquired the surface parking lot at 1800 Arch St., one block away from the newly-built 975-foot Comcast Center, in October 2007. According to the article, Miller said he envisioned a major mixed-use building and brought on world-renowned architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox to achieve it.
KPF designed the US Airways terminal at the Philadelphia airport, Huntsman Hall at Wharton, the Mellon Bank Center, Two Logan Square, One Logan Square, and the Four Seasons Hotel. The President of KPF is from Philadelphia and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in the 1950s.
KPF is also accustomed to designing tall buildings and is currently designing what will be the new tallest buildings in Shanghai (1,588 feet tall) and Hong Kong (1,608 feet tall).
The American Commerce Center will contain a 26-story hotel that tops off at 473 feet with a garden on top, three to six stories of street-accessible retail with another public garden, a 63-story office tower that is 1,210 feet tall and a spire that reaches 1,500 feet tall. The building will also have underground parking, and will be certified in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, making it environmentally friendly.
"While the vision of the building is to engage the pedestrian - to engage Philadelphia - at the street level, we also want the tower to be a symbol of our collective aspiration and hope. We want it to be seen from far away, literally and figuratively," Miller told PhillySkyline.com.
Miller said that partners have been established for funding and the lot was purchased completely on equity.
However, there may be some issues with zoning.
While the site is zoned with no height restriction, the building will have a large floor area, which has to be rezoned. Councilman Darrell Clarke, representative for the district, declined to comment. However, Rob Stuart, President of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, said that the height is not as important as how it meets the street, and that the developer has "done his homework" in that respect.
WSC is going to hold community forums with the neighbors to address their concerns in the coming months. According to PhillySkyline.com, construction could possibly begin in the summer of 2009, barring setbacks.
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 8
ANTHONY FREEMAN
posted 3/17/08 @ 9:00 AM EST
THIS IS THE TYPE OF PROJECT PHILADELPHIA NEEDS TO BECOME A TRULY WORLD CLASS CITY WITH A TOURIST ATTRACTION AND TO FURTHER IT'S DEVELOPMENT. I HOPE THERE IS NO MAJOR OPPOSITION TO THIS PROJECT, LIKE IN PAST TIMES WHERE OPPOSITION TO DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS HAS STYMIED PHILLY'S GROWTH. (Continued…)
Anthony Gigante
posted 3/18/08 @ 7:39 AM EST
If constructed, the American Commerce Center would be the tallest building in our country. Aside from being a masterpiece in engineering and architecture, this multi-functional building would be a symbol of growth and development in the city of Philadelphia. (Continued…)
Carl
posted 4/16/08 @ 11:59 PM EST
To correct you Anthony, the Freedom Tower and the Chicago Spire are going to be taller than this planned American Commerce Center. That is not to say, it will be the third tallest building in the US and one of the top ten in the world - depending on how the other projects around the world come along. (Continued…)
Ryan
posted 6/16/08 @ 5:50 PM EST
The chances of the American Commerce Center actually being built far outweigh the chances of the "proposed" Freedom Tower of New York and Chicago Spire of Chicago, which most likely will never be built. (Continued…)
Ben
posted 6/17/08 @ 5:26 PM EST
Ryan, both the Freedom Tower and Chicago Spire will be built. Matter of fact, construction has already started on both projects, with the ground breaking on FT taking place on April 27th, 2006, and CS taking place on June 25th, 2007. (Continued…)
john
posted 7/15/08 @ 6:59 PM EST
I agree with Anthony Freeman! Most people that are complaining about not wanting this built are of old age. It's really a shame. Time to grow and move forward
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