Comcast Center (Philadelphia)

[krulltime]

Comcast Center:

http://www.pbase.com/image/38618784.jpg

http://www.post-gazette.com/images3/20050104ap_ho_comcast_ctrPJ_450.jpg

Comcast unveils plans for new headquarters
$435 million skyscraper will be Philadelphia's tallest building


Tuesday, January 04, 2005
By Michael Rubinkam, The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia's newest skyscraper will also be its tallest, a 975-foot behemoth wrapped in tinted glass and named for its anchor tenant, Comcast Corp.

Assisted by millions of dollars in state and local tax breaks, the nation's largest cable company said yesterday that it had signed a 15 1/2-year lease with Liberty Property Trust, developer of the $435 million downtown skyscraper to be known as Comcast Center.

The most significant addition to the Philadelphia skyline in more than a decade, the 57-story building will rise above the city's signature tower, One Liberty Place, by 30 feet.

Construction is scheduled to begin this month, with Comcast moving several blocks into the new building by fall of 2007.

Comcast, which tripled in size when it bought AT&T's cable division in 2002, said it had outgrown its current headquarters across the street from City Hall.

Comcast Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts said AT&T had asked the company to move to New York City as a condition of the sale. "My father [Comcast founder Ralph Roberts] and I both adamantly said that's a nonstarter, and it almost cost us the deal," Roberts told a news conference yesterday.

Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, who has close ties to Comcast, showed his gratitude by putting together a state aid package valued at $42.75 million, including $30 million for infrastructure improvements. The state Department of Community and Economic Development pledged another $12.75 million in grants, tax credits and job training assistance.

In exchange, Comcast promised to create 600 jobs, with the possibility of adding as many as 1,000 to 2,000 more over the next decade.

Rival office landlords complained bitterly about the public subsidies, fearing that Comcast Center would lead to a glut of downtown office space and lure away their corporate tenants.

"It's all about putting a spin on it so the taxpayers can pay for something that both of the companies can well afford and the city doesn't need," said Dave Campoli, president of the Center City Owners Association, a group of major office landlords in Philadelphia that fought the subsidies. Campoli also works for HRPT Properties Trust, Comcast's current landlord.

Mayor John Street noted that similar criticism was leveled at One Liberty Place when it opened in 1987. That building was the first to rise above the William Penn statue atop City Hall, which had served as the city's unofficial height limit for nearly a century.

Critics of Comcast Center are "less than appropriately grateful" for Comcast's commitment to Philadelphia, Street said.

Malvern-based Liberty Property Trust, which owns 60 million square feet of office and industrial space, first announced plans for the skyscraper four years ago. It is to be built atop a commuter train station at 17th Street and JFK Boulevard.

Designed by New York architect Robert A.M. Stern, Comcast Center will feature a half-acre landscaped public park and a glass-enclosed winter garden that will serve as the new western entrance to Suburban Station. Plans also call for expanding Suburban Station's underground retail concourse.

Stern, dean of the Yale School of Architecture, said the building's 13-foot ceilings would flood work spaces with natural light, while its glass skin would glisten brilliantly by day.

Comcast "challenged us to examine every facet of skyscraper design and to evolve something that will be a new benchmark for this building type," he said.

Comcast said it would initially occupy 534,000 square feet on 24 floors, or about 44 percent of the building's rentable space. Comcast also may request the construction of a second, 250,000-square-foot office building on the site.

The project was dealt a setback in late November when the Republican-controlled Legislature refused to approve even more lucrative tax breaks sought by Comcast and Liberty Property Trust. But Rendell came to the rescue a few weeks later, putting together a deal that didn't require legislative approval.


Copyright ©1997-2005 PG Publishing Co.

[PHLguy]

975 feet! Flat roof!


YES! YES! YES! :D


2 57 story towers are being built by city hall as well, 745 feet and 615 feet. Plus the new cira center looks nice!


Philly rules! :D

[TLOZ Link5]

Good for Philly! I like to see recovery in other cities in this region.

Oh, if only that building could be, say, at least 25 feet higher? :mrgreen:

[alex ballard]

975 feet! Flat roof!


YES! YES! YES! :D


2 57 story towers are being built by city hall as well, 745 feet and 615 feet. Plus the new cira center looks nice!


Philly rules! :D

Which two are those? I thought the Center City tower was a non-starter. Anyway, are any of these projects going to result in new Center City jobs?

[PHLguy]

Those are 15th and Chestnut and Some Ritz project.

[TLOZ Link5]

City Center Tower is officially a "visionary" project. The Chestnut Street tower is residential and will be built on the site of One Meridian Plaza, which was demolished in 1998 or so after being gutted by a fire several years earlier. The other building PHLguy mentioned is a 57-story Ritz-Carlton project.

[NoyokA]

Comcast Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts said AT&T had asked the company to move to New York City as a condition of the sale.

I guess they broke the condition. To think we could've had another substancial building on our hand's....

[alex ballard]

How is Center City doing job wise? Will the Comcast Center do for Philly what Coke does for Atlanta or Oil does for Houston like they say it will? Could Philly tap into NYC's back office market.

[BrooklynRider]

I was in Philly for a couple of days to see the Dali exhibit.

The Comcast Building is going to be HUGE and is situated perfectly. It is just so weird that this 975ft building is rising on a lot that abuts a beautiful old church and its residence. It is an interesting juxtaposition.

We walked up to the Museum (we stayed at the Marriott next to the convention center). The Cira Centre is looking GORGEOUS. It has great lines and angles. Looks like a crystal prism rising on the landscape as it is west of City Center and stands alone. A top-notch design. Love it. A Cesar Pelli & Associates design that finally strays from his cookie cutter designs of late. It looked stunning.

Philly still suffers the plight other cities like Cleveland and Columbus in that it isolates residential areas, commercial areas and retail areas. City Center was really dead. Old City had the tourists. South Street had the crowds. It still suffers from an over-abundance street life and street scape killing parking lots and garages. It's a wonderful city to walk, but they need to abandon the anti-urban dedication of land to cars.

The Old City is chewing up the great lawns in front of Independence Hall in an effort to create a version of Washington D.C.'s Mall. Some of it works, some of it doesn't.

The Independence Visitor Center is rather intrusive, but offers some orientation for visitors as well as relevant movies, public restrooms and a very helpful and accessible info desk. Security is absolutely ridiculous and crowd flow, management and practicality has been given very little thought. Visitors to Indepence Hall now need tour tickets (reasonable). They have to pass through security akin, yet more invasive, than airports. This occurred in the old Liberty Bell building (which is now exclusively a security checkpoint). Visitors then walk to the new Liberty Bell Center for a series of movies, displays and exhibits on the Liberty Bell and the opportunity so see the bell itself. It was a totally ridiculous exhibit and the totally uninspired building design destroys the "old city" feel that the expanse of lawn in front of Independence Hall had. You leave that building to be herded into police barrier pens on the corner, where you must wait to be walked across the street by security guards to Indepence Hall, which is now fully enclosed in an inpenetrable security zone. A real paradox - Indepence Hall inside a restricted zone. It was excessive and just so silly, especially when you walk the next three blocks east on Market Street to endless culturally relevant and historic American building that have no security at all. So stupid.

But, I must bring another building to everyone's attention. The new National Constitution Center was excellent. We were weary of visiting this place as Philly seems intent on creating something from nothing, but this was great. The building itself is very nice inspired piece of architecture. It works flawlessly as a museum and the exhibits (all interactive) were incredibly creative, not only engaging visitors of all ages, but somehow managing to stimulate thoughts, reactions and interplay. The exhibits were just excellent. It has a new exhibit hall opening on Lincoln and the constitutional crisis of his presidency, that I am inclined to return to Philly to see - it was that good.

I don't know if anyone has pictures or renderings of the National Constitution Center or the Cira Centre, but both are worthy of posting here.

By the way,if anyone needs restaurant recommendations, I had a great meal at a place called Jones on 7th & Chestnut - $115 for four people - (excellent comfort food in a very nicely designed space). I also ate a phenomenal meal at Striped Bass - $216 for dinner for two (with one bottle of wine & half a bottle of champagne) - but it was a exceptional in another stunning dining room.

That's my two cents...

[RS085]

Phillys lookin nice.

[jmhoriel]

BrooklynRider...
Next trip into Philly I suggest checking out Walnut/Chestnut/Locust streets especially around Rittenhouse Square as well as the Avenue of the Arts (Broad St. south of City Hall). These areas are the most diverse with office, residential, and restaurant/retail all sharing the same real estate. They are much more 24/7 than the convention center area (which is where the Marriott is located), and always filled with people.

[Cromwell]

I would agree with jmhoriel. Convention Center/ Hotel area is badly misplaced. Right next to the Convention Center they have the Gallery Mall which is an ultra- urban hangout. Not thats there is anything wrong with that but it seems like an odd mix, having suburban conventioneers and tourists mingle with the urban youth of Philadelphia.

Rittenhouse,Walnut St and University City is where most of the foot traffic is.

I go to school at Villanova and center city/university city is really becoming a very impressive section of the city. Heres a few updates on some of the bigger projects that are going on in philly. Center City is only about 3.5 sq. miles but there is currently 3 billion dollars worth of investment alone in center city.

Mandeville Place- 43 story mixed tower-proposed- 2006 commencement

http://www.mandevilleplace.com/images/Mandevile_Ads_print.jpg

Waterfront Square- 5 tower condo complex 23-37 stories-Under Construction

http://www.phillyskyline.com/123abc/wfs_big.jpg
Symphony House- 31 story Condo/Theatre- UNDER CONSTRUCTION

http://img142.echo.cx/img142/9898/symphony132pi.jpg

http://phillyskyline.com/123abc/symphony3.jpg

Cira Centre- Nearly complete- Far Right



http://www.pbase.com/phillytrax/image/41902523.jpg

http://phillyskyline.com/bldgs/cira/cira_uc073.jpg


Comcast Center-- Under construction

http://phillyskyline.com/123abc/comcastposter.jpg

[Cromwell]

I guess they broke the condition. To think we could've had another substancial building on our hand's....

Lets not get too greedy. I applaud Comcast and Brian Roberts for showing loyalty and support to Philadelphia. They are in a tough position, stuck in the middle of the world's two most powerful cities. For the past 50 years they basically have been shunned by all national developers. I hope Philly can keep rebounding and reclaim some of its past glory.

[Archit_K]

Hey Cromwell, is that a rendering or a photo of Mandeville Place (43 story mixed tower-proposed- 2006 commencement)?

[Cromwell]

Archit, its a rendering. Mandeville Place was announced a couple months ago and if things go smoothly the project should begin next spring. However as with all Philadelphia projects you can never be to certain until you see the first steel anchor beam in the ground. It's a tough city to get big projects done, you have to grease an awful lot of hands.

Comcast-57 stories
Cira centre- 29 stories
Symphony House-31 stories
Waterfront Square Complex 21-25-29-33-37 stories are all underway.

There are also 95 new smaller developments/ conversions(sub 20 stories) going on at the present time in center city.

There are 2 dozen bigger condo towers in the planning and proposed stages. There is an amazing 37 story condo by Robert A.M. Stern that is currently being held up by Nimby's on Rittenhouse Square. As the aforementioned 57 story and 50 story condo towers being torpedoed by feuding developers.

[alex ballard]

Archit, its a rendering. Mandeville Place was announced a couple months ago and if things go smoothly the project should begin next spring. However as with all Philadelphia projects you can never be to certain until you see the first steel anchor beam in the ground. It's a tough city to get big projects done, you have to grease an awful lot of hands.

Comcast-57 stories
Cira centre- 29 stories
Symphony House-31 stories
Waterfront Square Complex 21-25-29-33-37 stories are all underway.

There are also 95 new smaller developments/ conversions(sub 20 stories) going on at the present time in center city.

There are 2 dozen bigger condo towers in the planning and proposed stages. There is an amazing 37 story condo by Robert A.M. Stern that is currently being held up by Nimby's on Rittenhouse Square. As the aforementioned 57 story and 50 story condo towers being torpedoed by feuding developers.




Is all this gonna boost Philadelphia's popualtion? Do you think there is any boost in children in the city? Any chance other areas will start to break out in development like Brooklyn and Queens did? I can see South, West, and Greater NE all becoming huge areas of new development...Can you?...

[Cromwell]

Is all this gonna boost Philadelphia's popualtion? Do you think there is any boost in children in the city? Any chance other areas will start to break out in development like Brooklyn and Queens did? I can see South, West, and Greater NE all becoming huge areas of new development...Can you?...

Center City's population is increasing nicely, the last count I saw was 88,000 people in Center City and 48,000 people in University City.(Amount doubles during school sessions) In the next 5 years, at least, they will continue to grow between 5% to 10% per year. Univ. Penn is really doing an incredible job of transforming University City which is directly west of Center City.

These two neighborhoods are beginning to spur gentrification in the areas immediately surrounding CC and UC.

Northeast,south and west philly? I have my doubts. Philly's black mayor who came from the hood has really done a nice job trying to address the inner cities. Several housing projects have been knocked down and rebuilt, however the inner city is really dense in Philly and I just don't think Philly can handle the situation alone. They need something to happen on a national level to address the implosion that is going on in the inner city black communities.

In short, no I don't see Philly's overall population increasing. The crime and horrible public schools, are to this day still causing white flight. Philly is truly a city of have and have nots. There's not much of a middle class. If you can afford to live in Center City and send your kids to charter schools it's an amazing manageable city.

It's a city of great potential if it ever figures out how to improve it's economy, which in turn will help reduce the stress put on its increasing inner city population living below the poverty line..

Wealthy Philadelphia hoods:

Chestnut Hill
Center City
Soceity Hill
Overbrook-Main Li

Distressed Hoods: Thats putting it mildly
North Philly
West Philly
Southwest Philly

Middle Class Hoods:
Manayunk
Roxborough
Northeast
University City

[TLOZ Link5]

People raise a population, not buildings.

P.S.: Isn't that building on Rittenhouse being designed by Richard Meier?

[phammond1009]

Cromwell, this is a more accurate description of some of philly's "hoods."

Northeast, Chestnut Hill, etc, etc., Pedophiles, wife beaters, cop killers, meth labs...... should I go on? This is putting it accurately!

[Cromwell]

No that's not accurate. Yo can live in denial, that is your perogative. However to compare the atrocity that is happening in Philadelphia's inner city black community with an isolated wacko in Chestnut Hill is showing the depth of your blinders.

For every one pedophile in the northeast, for every one wife beater in Chestnut Hill there are 100 high school dropouts, crack addicts, robbers, rapists, muggers, dope dealers, murderers inflicting mayhem in West and North Philly. Inner city Steet-cred is a scurge that the likes of the city of Philadelphia has not faced in its 360 year history. The revolutionary war, civil war, malaria epidemic of 1800's pales in comparison.

[phammond1009]

Yo .Cromwell,

And your reason for not mentioning the obvious is.........?

[Swinefeld]

Phillys lookin nice.

Ha, I did this rendering! I didn't know I was famous! BTW, that's Camden, NJ in the foreground.
http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/407/attachment5ua.jpg

[stache]

Guys this thread is about Comcast Center.

[NYatKNIGHT]

That is the Comcast Center, nicely rendered into the skyline. Fits like a glove.

[Swinefeld]

Guys this thread is about Comcast Center.

Uh, yeah. I rendered COMCAST CENTER into the existing skyline of Philadelphia. What's your beef?

[stache]

Swine don't get your panties in a twist. I was referring to the argument above your photo.

[macreator]

Comcast Center:
Comcast Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts said AT&T had asked the company to move to New York City as a condition of the sale. "My father [Comcast founder Ralph Roberts] and I both adamantly said that's a nonstarter, and it almost cost us the deal," Roberts told a news conference yesterday.


Sorry to be referring back to the first page of this thread but I was wondering if anyone could comment on my question.

Why would AT&T ask Comcast to move to New York City when AT&T themselves abandoned the City in the late 80's? Anyone have any ideas?

[Swinefeld]

Swine don't get your panties in a twist. I was referring to the argument above your photo.
Oh, that was abundantly clear. What was I (and NYatKnight) thinking? :rolleyes:

OK, I won't be so touchy next time.

[stache]

Swine welcome to the board. :)

[Dagrecco82]

These are some recent construction pics of Comcast Center. The first two pics are from the the terrace of the Windsor Hotel and the third pic is of the skyline showing the huge crane at the site. Gives you a very clear view of how it will mingle with the skyline. Enjoy.

[Cromwell]

update with mock-up of glass curtain

http://phillyskyline.com/bldgs/comcast/comcast_uc043_southwide.jpg

[Fabrizio]

Let´s hope they do something nice at street level....although I have my doubts. One look at the surrounding area in the photo above shows the desolation for the pedestrian in these parts. Philly has done a lousy job of integrating it´s new buildings into an interesting street fabric. Will this just add to the dreariness? No matter how much Philly wants to think of it´s self as a modern world-class city, it is the old intimate historic buildings and streets that give it worth.

[Alonzo-ny]

the mock up does not look good at all

[stanley]

Nice ! ;)

[At_the_horizon]

Nice to see Philly's growing up. Those are some nice projects.

[PhillyIsComingBack]

Quote:
Originally Posted by alex ballard
Is all this gonna boost Philadelphia's popualtion? Do you think there is any boost in children in the city? Any chance other areas will start to break out in development like Brooklyn and Queens did? I can see South, West, and Greater NE all becoming huge areas of new development...Can you?...


Center City's population is increasing nicely, the last count I saw was 88,000 people in Center City and 48,000 people in University City.(Amount doubles during school sessions) In the next 5 years, at least, they will continue to grow between 5% to 10% per year. Univ. Penn is really doing an incredible job of transforming University City which is directly west of Center City.

These two neighborhoods are beginning to spur gentrification in the areas immediately surrounding CC and UC.

Northeast,south and west philly? I have my doubts. Philly's black mayor who came from the hood has really done a nice job trying to address the inner cities. Several housing projects have been knocked down and rebuilt, however the inner city is really dense in Philly and I just don't think Philly can handle the situation alone. They need something to happen on a national level to address the implosion that is going on in the inner city black communities.

In short, no I don't see Philly's overall population increasing. The crime and horrible public schools, are to this day still causing white flight. Philly is truly a city of have and have nots. There's not much of a middle class. If you can afford to live in Center City and send your kids to charter schools it's an amazing manageable city.

It's a city of great potential if it ever figures out how to improve it's economy, which in turn will help reduce the stress put on its increasing inner city population living below the poverty line..








Well.. the facts are that the population in the city HAS increased a great deal. This should be reflected in the next census if it is correctly done and participated by everyone in the city.

[noreaga0221]

The site can be seen from 30th street station and its moving along pretty well. I took some pics with my cell phone but the phone broke so no more pics until I head back down there..

But I should be starting to work in Philly soon so hopefully I'll have plenty of time to get chrono shots.

[Peakrate212]

[quote=PhillyIsComingBack]Quote:
quote]

How is Chestnut Street?

[investordude]

I think to the question on Philly's declining population, you gotta start somewhere when turning a place around. Center City's growth is beginning to spread - note the University City Penn project for example. From there, I think other places like North Philadelphia can begin to climb back.

[Luca]

Ha, I did this rendering! I didn't know I was famous! BTW, that's Camden, NJ in the foreground.
http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/407/attachment5ua.jpg

Nice bones Camden! One could definitely do soemthign with that downtown.

[ablarc]

Nice bones Camden! One could definitely do soemthign with that downtown.
Wow, ain't that the truth! Not dead, just in a coma.

[Geer]

Some newer updates from a guy called Fish at SSC.
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/5808/dsc00240hv2.jpg

Looking great and getting tall
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/9643/dsc00248ze2.jpg

[pluto]

update, courtesy PhillySkyline.com:

http://phillyskyline.com/bldgs/comcast/comcast_uc512.jpg

http://phillyskyline.com/bldgs/comcast/comcast_uc453.jpg

http://phillyskyline.com/bldgs/comcast/comcast_uc507.jpg

[LeCom]

Oct 8, last Sunday, with something burning on the foreground

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/3390/pict0001comcastuc100806smalluz8.jpg

Same day, sunset

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/6294/pict0007comcastuc100806sunsetsmallpn0.jpg

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/8208/pict0008comcastuc100806sunset2smallfg2.jpg

Saturday, soon after waking up (around 3:30 PM)

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/1188/pict0039comcastuc101406smalltr7.jpg

Technically same day (October 15), after coming back from an all nighter at the studio

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/3746/pict0051comcastuc101506sunrisesmallcc7.jpg

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/2434/pict0053comcastuc101506sunrise2smallup2.jpg

Tonight, on a rainy/foggy evening: notice how the brightest thing in Center City are the white construction lights at Comcast Center

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/9144/pict0059comcastuc101706smalltp0.jpg

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4351/pict0014comcastuc100806sunset3smalllr8.jpg

[Syrinx]

http://static.flickr.com/99/301370348_19ec2c6598_b.jpg

[Syrinx]

http://static.flickr.com/107/301372448_4d9c44a958_b.jpg

[Cromwell]

Nice progress.

The Bell Atlantic Tower(directly next to Comcast) is 739'

Comcast is currently on the 48th floor. Another 10 to go(17 foot ceilings). 975' total.

[SkyscraperSunset]

Thought everyone might enjoy some photos I've taken from inside the building on the 43rd floor on January 2nd.

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/skyscrapercity/phl/070102/74.jpg (http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/tours/070102.html)

Click the image to see the whole 74-photo set, which includes pics of the construction and the surrounding city. Also, I have a whole page documenting the construction since January 2005 on my website - click here (http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/projects/construction/comcast.html).

[LeCom]

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/7253/pict0001ca8.jpg

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/5372/pict0002sz0.jpg

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/469/pict0007comcastucfeb07om3.jpg

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/9905/pict0069comcastucfeb07eo9.jpg

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5593/pict0070comcastucfeb07gg8.jpg

http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/7057/pict0071comcastucfeb07vas3.jpg

http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/5026/pict0074comcastucfeb07ht1.jpg

http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/907/pict0092comcastucfeb07vsi5.jpg

[Ed007Toronto]

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5593/pict0070comcastucfeb07gg8.jpg

They have a law against flat roofs on their newer buildings?

[czsz]

I always enjoyed the spire-filled Philadelphia skyline...I actually think the Comcast building throws it wildly off balance and cuts the once-soaring skyline off bluntly.

[OmegaNYC]

Amen. ^^ Put a hat on the damn thing!

[Syrinx]

This was the early blueprints of Comcast Center. Had potential, a couple more top tier layers and 100 more feet and that building would be golden.

Pic courtesy of phillyskyline.com

http://www.phillyskyline.com/bldgs/comcast/timeline/comcast_early1.jpg

[Dagrecco82]

I went overnight to Philly and took some shots....


http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/9756/img2993mediumav2.jpg



http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/9716/img2995largejd8.jpg


And some eye-candy for the hell of it....

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/2808/img2981largehq0.jpg

[kliq6]

How is Center City doing job wise? Will the Comcast Center do for Philly what Coke does for Atlanta or Oil does for Houston like they say it will? Could Philly tap into NYC's back office market.

Philly has to get ride of there commuter tax, cut crime atleast by 25% and do a few others things before it can even compete with South Jersey, forget NYC

[antinimby]

What is there in South Jersey to compete with?

[Alonzo-ny]

camden

[JCMAN320]

I really do love Philadelphia. I don't know what it is but my first visit there when I was in highschool I just fell in love with it. I can't wait to see Philly get back on it's proverbial feet.

[kliq6]

What is there in South Jersey to compete with?

South Jersey is like JC to NYC. It has done a incredible job moving firrms into the region that use to be based in Philly. There are more jobs in the outlying counties then in central city

[homeandaway]

boring!
~AleX~

[SkyscraperSunset]

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/projects/construction/comcast/images/0703-04.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/projects/construction/comcast/images/0703-14.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/projects/construction/comcast/images/0703-20.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/projects/construction/comcast/images/0703-07.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/projects/construction/comcast/images/0703-12.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/projects/construction/comcast/images/0703-15.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/projects/construction/comcast/images/0703-16.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/projects/construction/comcast/images/0703-11.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/projects/construction/comcast/images/0703-18.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/sig.jpg (http://www.skyscrapersunset.com)

[Alonzo-ny]

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/projects/construction/comcast/images/0703-15.jpg



I like this glass

[kliq6]

Saw it yesterday as I was on the train. Nice looking building. Whats the height?

[macreator]

Saw it yesterday as I was on the train. Nice looking building. Whats the height?

975 Feet.

I just came across this thread for the first time in a few months and I have to say that the glass being applied to this thing looks stunning. I'm happy to see Philly get such a nice looking tower.

[MidtownGuy]

Yes, I was passing through Philly recently and this tower looked amazingly good.

[macreator]

Philly is a great town, it is too bad they are having issues again with a rise in crime. They need to dump Mayor Street the next chance they get. He's awful.

[Cromwell]

He's done in 6 months thank goodness. 8 long years, what a horrible mayor he was.

Philly just had their democratic primary(lock for next mayor) for Novembers election.

5 candidates ran(3 black, 2 white) and Philly got it right. Michael Nutter who is black is a very bright progressive guy. By far the best candidate.

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/8122/dscn0369vd1.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t187/scylla108/phillyjune6-07001.jpg

[Jasonik]

A general request to any Philadelphian; please take a photo of the new skyline from the courtyard of the Rodin Museum - thanks.

[pianoman11686]

I like this glass

I like the architect (which explains why we like the glass). ;)

[Alonzo-ny]

Who is the architect? Ive never seen glass like it before which it could be used in NY!

[sfenn1117]

^Robert AM Stern

The curtain wall is one of the best I've ever seen, very unique glass.

[Ed007Toronto]

The colour of the sky in those shots might be a factor as to why the glass looks so good.

[MidtownGuy]

I will testify that even in person, it looks phenomenol!

[Alonzo-ny]

I like this guy, however im not sure about his project way up 5th.

[macreator]

however im not sure about his project way up 5th.

That project is indeed pretty mediocre.

[ribbentrop]

Today's Philadelphia Inquirer published this article on building the Comcast Center, with a slide show of the feats of construction workers working high up in the sky. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_left_story/20070617_An_iron_ballet_in_the_clouds.html

[macreator]

Amazing shots. What a spectacle. It sounds corny, but man is skyscraper building inspiring. Those steel connectors are incredibly impressive.

[BrooklynRider]

Amazing shots indeed. However, they are powerful enough to give me vertigo and make me nauseous.

[ablarc]

How do they do it? I can't even walk a straight line sober on the sidewalk.

[investordude]

Looks like Philly is getting a new office skyscraper near Amtrak. http://www.globest.com/news/1039_1039/philadelphia/166138-1.html

Is there a general Philly thread - not sure where to put news of new Philly projects like this.

[Jasonik]

http://phillyskyline.com/bldgs/comcast/comcast_uc2327.jpg (http://phillyskyline.com/bldgs/comcast/comcast_0711.htm)

[ZippyTheChimp]

Pulls the Philly skyline together.

http://phillyskyline.com/bldgs/comcast/comcast_uc2295.jpg

[JCMAN320]

Great skyline Philly, I love Philly to begin with, this just make me love it even more.

[phillyboi]

:DComcast Center:

good now they can put the william penn statue on top nd the curse will finally will b over!

http://www.post-gazette.com/images3/20050104ap_ho_comcast_ctrPJ_450.jpg

Comcast unveils plans for new headquarters
$435 million skyscraper will be Philadelphia's tallest building


Tuesday, January 04, 2005
By Michael Rubinkam, The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia's newest skyscraper will also be its tallest, a 975-foot behemoth wrapped in tinted glass and named for its anchor tenant, Comcast Corp.

Assisted by millions of dollars in state and local tax breaks, the nation's largest cable company said yesterday that it had signed a 15 1/2-year lease with Liberty Property Trust, developer of the $435 million downtown skyscraper to be known as Comcast Center.

The most significant addition to the Philadelphia skyline in more than a decade, the 57-story building will rise above the city's signature tower, One Liberty Place, by 30 feet.

Construction is scheduled to begin this month, with Comcast moving several blocks into the new building by fall of 2007.

Comcast, which tripled in size when it bought AT&T's cable division in 2002, said it had outgrown its current headquarters across the street from City Hall.

Comcast Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts said AT&T had asked the company to move to New York City as a condition of the sale. "My father [Comcast founder Ralph Roberts] and I both adamantly said that's a nonstarter, and it almost cost us the deal," Roberts told a news conference yesterday.

Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, who has close ties to Comcast, showed his gratitude by putting together a state aid package valued at $42.75 million, including $30 million for infrastructure improvements. The state Department of Community and Economic Development pledged another $12.75 million in grants, tax credits and job training assistance.

In exchange, Comcast promised to create 600 jobs, with the possibility of adding as many as 1,000 to 2,000 more over the next decade.

Rival office landlords complained bitterly about the public subsidies, fearing that Comcast Center would lead to a glut of downtown office space and lure away their corporate tenants.

"It's all about putting a spin on it so the taxpayers can pay for something that both of the companies can well afford and the city doesn't need," said Dave Campoli, president of the Center City Owners Association, a group of major office landlords in Philadelphia that fought the subsidies. Campoli also works for HRPT Properties Trust, Comcast's current landlord.

Mayor John Street noted that similar criticism was leveled at One Liberty Place when it opened in 1987. That building was the first to rise above the William Penn statue atop City Hall, which had served as the city's unofficial height limit for nearly a century.

Critics of Comcast Center are "less than appropriately grateful" for Comcast's commitment to Philadelphia, Street said.

Malvern-based Liberty Property Trust, which owns 60 million square feet of office and industrial space, first announced plans for the skyscraper four years ago. It is to be built atop a commuter train station at 17th Street and JFK Boulevard.

Designed by New York architect Robert A.M. Stern, Comcast Center will feature a half-acre landscaped public park and a glass-enclosed winter garden that will serve as the new western entrance to Suburban Station. Plans also call for expanding Suburban Station's underground retail concourse.

Stern, dean of the Yale School of Architecture, said the building's 13-foot ceilings would flood work spaces with natural light, while its glass skin would glisten brilliantly by day.

Comcast "challenged us to examine every facet of skyscraper design and to evolve something that will be a new benchmark for this building type," he said.

Comcast said it would initially occupy 534,000 square feet on 24 floors, or about 44 percent of the building's rentable space. Comcast also may request the construction of a second, 250,000-square-foot office building on the site.

The project was dealt a setback in late November when the Republican-controlled Legislature refused to approve even more lucrative tax breaks sought by Comcast and Liberty Property Trust. But Rendell came to the rescue a few weeks later, putting together a deal that didn't require legislative approval.


Copyright ©1997-2005 PG Publishing Co.[/quote]

[Alonzo-ny]

Tuesday, January 04, 2005


Welcome to the future.

[ablarc]

That building sure is beautiful.

Trim and well-proportioned. Eye-catching without exhibitionistic contortions. Not one hair out of place.

Like JackieO in a designer dress.

[Fahzee]

^ I love the Thomas Eatkins-esque rower in the photo above - it's a perfect Philadelphia touch!

[Derek2k3]

Never seen this building before. It's on Advanced Media Design's website.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2361/2113032229_eb25ff15ed_o.jpg
http://www.studioamd.com

This is the kind of stuff I want for the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront. Why does our city have all these backwards rules.

[antinimby]

^ Somehow I know you already know the answer to that question. :(

[Cromwell]

Did this building need a spire roof to compliment the rest of Phillys spires or was the flat roof the way to go here?


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2077/2153136532_c1e078983a.jpg

http://phillyskyline.com/bldgs/comcast/comcast_uc2325.jpg

[TREPYE]

http://phillyskyline.com/bldgs/comcast/comcast_uc2295.jpg

Got off the Philly train station a few weeks ago and got a good look at it and I gotta say that this building is a stunner. It rises up from the ground beautifully proportioned and that glass is like -wow!;) Comcast and 1BP are going in oppositite directions as far as quality of glass. The former enhances its form whereas the later minimizes the unique design of the tower. A total contrast in glass quality.:rolleyes:

[BrooklynRider]

That's a nice looking building and it looks just fine without a spire or crown.

[stache]

at night and it's absolutely stunning. Too bad everybody building in NYC thinks they can throw up a piece of crap and rest on the city's former reputation as being exciting. We are in our decline.

[krulltime]

Yeah this building turn out really nice. :) Good for Philly.