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PHILADELPHIA | 700 Chestnut Street| 146 FT | 12 FLOORS

RIP Jones Restaurant

Title: 700 Chestnut
Architect: Studio HS4
Developer: Herb Schultz
Location: 700 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
District: Center City
Neighborhood: Washington Square West
Floors: 12
Height: 146 FT

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6f8340cb_h.jpg

Historical commission submission PDF:
https://www.phila.gov/media/20220719...nut-St-app.pdf

This sure is a building

Quote:

Originally Posted by CleetMcDougle (Post 9681566)

This sure is a building

You’d think that if you have enough money to acquire these two properties in the first place, you’d also have enough money to come up with a design that works.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgrath618 (Post 9681666)

You’d think that if you have enough money to acquire these two properties in the first place, you’d also have enough money to come up with a design that works.

That is what I don't get.
They will also spend a lot on legal battles. Why not just design a quality project from the start? Unless they believe this is a quality project, god bless em if so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgrath618 (Post 9681553)

RIP Jones Restaurant

Already closed.

Stephen Starr’s restaurant Jones has closed after nearly 20 years

https://www.inquirer.com/food/restau...-20220110.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHL10 (Post 9681812)

Already closed.

Stephen Starr’s restaurant Jones has closed after nearly 20 years

https://www.inquirer.com/food/restau...-20220110.html

I know :(
Their grits were absolutely amazing. Wish I could've gone more. Didn't really make sense in that location though; I think the same restaurant would kill west of Market.

Reminds me a lot of the Beacon.

I thought this proposal didn't make it through one of the million hoops a project has to go through?

Quote:

Originally Posted by McBane (Post 9681992)

I thought this proposal didn't make it through one of the million hoops a project has to go through?

It was just submitted to the historical commission for todays meeting, so this is still moving forward I'd assume.

I'm fine with the concept of this proposal and fine with losing 704 Chestnut. 704 Chesntut may have been beautiful in the past, but it's been completely mutilated and is a shell of it's former self.

The initial massing elevations don't look promising for the new addition, but I'll reserve judgement until we see the final design. I'm sure it'll change and I agree, this reminds me of The Beacon.

Looks like maybe a few added new images of the overbuild in the revised Historical Commission Submission PDF:

https://www.phila.gov/media/20220804...St-Revised.pdf

Quote:

Originally Posted by summersm343 (Post 9696822)

Looks like maybe a few added new images of the overbuild in the revised Historical Commission Submission PDF:

https://www.phila.gov/media/20220804...St-Revised.pdf

They're just wasting their time unless they go back to the drawing board and/or include 704 Chestnut.

Life for Las Vegas Lounge? Overbuild Up in the Air at 7th & Chestnut

Current site:
https://www.ocfrealty.com/wp-content...8/IMG_9986.jpg

Building in question - to be demolished?
https://www.ocfrealty.com/wp-content...8/IMG_9990.jpg

Site plans and renderings:
https://www.ocfrealty.com/wp-content...tUpdate-01.jpg

https://www.ocfrealty.com/wp-content...tUpdate-04.jpg

https://www.ocfrealty.com/wp-content...tUpdate-05.jpg

https://www.ocfrealty.com/wp-content...tUpdate-02.jpg

Quote:

A few months back, we checked in on 700-04 Chestnut St. in Washington Square West, when we were confused by a zoning permit that allowed for the demolition of what we believed to be a contributing building to the Chestnut Street East historic district. We weren’t sure why this was moving forward, as the contributing designation would require some sort of hardship in order for the demolition to be approved.

As you can see, both buildings remain intact as of today. However, we now know that Hightop Development is working with Studio HS4 on this project, and it seems as if they’ve been busy. They submitted new overbuild plans to the Architecture Committee of the Historical Commission, but the committee had some issues with the massing, the materials, and the fact that 704 was still a contributing building. As such, the committee ultimately denied the proposal. The revised submission includes many more details than we had previously.

The chances of this happening in this manner are looking smaller, as the Committee on Historical Designation also had something to say about the plans. The development team submitted a request to have the building at 704 Chestnut St. reclassified as a non-contributing building due to the top two floors being removed and an long-ago adjustment to the first-floor facade. However, after hearing the appeal, the Committee unanimously agreed that the building should remain contributing due to how it relates to the existing character of the street – a historic stump, if you will. This is not official until approved by the Historical Commission, which could happen during their meeting this Friday.

So, what comes next? These situations can be tough to predict, but if we were wagering on it, our guess is we see a new proposal with both buildings sticking around, with an overbuild that steps-back even further from the front and side facades.

Read/view more here:
https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...t-7th-chestnut

I like the idea of this a lot. Right now the rendering is more like the "idea" of the historical facade without being accurate, and I imagine the historical commission will deny unless it's actually a reproduction.

Chestnut Street hotel project proposes demolishing and then rebuilding a historic building

Quote:

A new hotel proposed for Seventh and Chestnut would rise over the former Jones restaurant and demolish the building that housed the Las Vegas Lounge.

https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/gqA...SDGDIH4AYQ.jpg

https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/y4Z...FF4YWGUFQI.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philly Fan (Post 9846521)

Chestnut Street hotel project proposes demolishing and then rebuilding a historic building

https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/gqA...SDGDIH4AYQ.jpg

https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/y4Z...FF4YWGUFQI.jpg

I like this, and a semi-large hotel works well. Need more info on façade materials.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC (Post 9846537)

I like this, and a semi-large hotel works well. Need more info on façade materials.

Apparently, you aren't the only one who needs more info. From the article:

Quote:

“We don’t see enough detail in this proposal to reassure us that what they are proposing represents a ‘faithful reconstruction’ as they assert,” said Paul Steinke, head of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. “More likely, it would read as a weak representation of the original building, which no one alive today has ever seen.”

The site has one of the most flexible zoning categories in Philadelphia’s code, so the project can move forward without a trip to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The Architectural Committee of the Historic Commission will consider the project Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.

Ugh. Why does demolition have to be immediately presumed as the "only" option?

Are the buildings structurally unsound? Has the developer even considered a rehab/overbuild with the existing structures? Have they put any money into an engineering study? How would a developer even be held liable to reconstruct a building as promised?

I'm not trying to be "flip" off the bat. I do love the idea of invigorating corners like this across the city, but there has to be a middle ground. I detest when demolition is the first suggestion by a developer, especially given so many recent boondoggles involving demolition.

Philadelphia has to be so much smarter than to continually allow these scenarios to play out. At least the article suggests that someone has an iota of awareness.