PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread II

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by ColdJay64

Scotch & Soda has closed on Walnut - not sure if that was already discussed here. It looks like they just went through a bankruptcy and closed most if not all of their stores. A loss for the block, no matter the reason.

Bummer. I think another problem with Walnut compared to other urban shopping districts is that it sort of blossomed a bit too late. I remember in the late 2000’s it really started to take off with a surge of higher end retail coming in - Burberry, Michael Kors, Juicy Couture etc. Maybe at the time retailers could justify having two locations at KOP and Walnut but then it sort of crested with the shift to online (ie the retail apocalypse of the late 2010’s) and then obviously Covid just exacerbated that trend. It’s had a relatively short period to establish itself.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

Bummer. I think another problem with Walnut compared to other urban shopping districts is that it sort of blossomed a bit too late. I remember in the late 2000’s it really started to take off with a surge of higher end retail coming in - Burberry, Michael Kors, Juicy Couture etc. Maybe at the time retailers could justify having two locations at KOP and Walnut but then it sort of crested with the shift to online (ie the retail apocalypse of the late 2010’s) and then obviously Covid just exacerbated that trend. It’s had a relatively short period to establish itself.

Don't forget high rents. I think that is the biggest reason for high street struggles across the US.

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

Don't forget high rents. I think that is the biggest reason for high street struggles across the US.

Yeah was thinking of that as well. Rents on Walnut still appear to be incredibly high. I get the feeling that Walnut landlords are playing a game of who blinks first. That’s why I’d like to see more retail activated west of the square now that The Laurel is over there. It might shake things up a bit. That Bang and Olufsen has been chillin by itself for awhile now lol

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

So according to the latest CCD retail report, a medical uniform store called Figs is coming to 1625 Walnut. NOT exactly in the same league as Louis Vuitton lol. Fringers crossed it’s only a pop up or something

https://centercityphila.org/uploads/...-july-2023.pdf

Well thank stinks it's not Louis Vuitton! Still, Figs is a somewhat respectable, if not a niche brand.

Originally Posted by ColdJay64

Scotch & Soda has closed on Walnut - not sure if that was already discussed here. It looks like they just went through a bankruptcy and closed most if not all of their stores. A loss for the block, no matter the reason.

Man, that sucks! Walnut Street cannot catch a damn break.

[summersm343]

One Frankford Breaks Ground as a New Entrance to Fishtown

The project at 1000-10 N. Delaware Ave. is now being called ONE Frankford, which will bring 78 units to the former surface parking lot that is immediately adjacent to the Route 15 Trolley (currently the 15 Bus) station, also known as the Northern Liberties Loop. Brought to us by Archive Development and designed by Canno Design, we attended the recent groundbreaking ceremony for this new gateway to Fishtown.

Read/view more here:
https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...e-to-fishtown/

[summersm343]

Plans Come to Light for 96 Units in Changing Pocket of NoLibs

901 N. Front St., which we visited back in December when plans a 96-unit project were being marketed for sale. We didn’t have any details at the time beyond the unit count, but thanks to a CDR submission, we have a better idea of what’s in store. Currently surface parking and a low-rise structure, this property sits just north of Poplar St. off N. Delaware Ave. and the river trail.

But thanks to all of the wonderful information included in the Civic Design Review package, we have all the details of what’s potentially joining the development fun. We can indeed expect to see 96 units here, with a modern design courtesy of DesignBlendz. The facade will feature tannish cement paneling across the structure’s seven stories, with 24 parking spaces accessible from Canal St. on the first floor. The lobby area will be accessed via an angled set-back, creating plenty of visual interest along the ground level of this purely residential project.

Read/view more here:
https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...ket-of-nolibs/

[summersm343]

918-80 Delaware Avenue update from Naked Philly





Read/view more here:
https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...ket-of-nolibs/

[BroadandMarket]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

Rivers Casino opening all-suite hotel in Fishtown's Battery redevelopment project

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...-fishtown.html

Rivers Casino Philadelphia plans to open a 62-suite boutique luxury hotel with an indoor basketball court this year inside The Battery, the $154 million redevelopment of a former PECO power plant along the Delaware River in Fishtown.

Riversuites could be accepting reservations as early as the fall, Rivers Casino said Tuesday, and is expected to open by the end of 2023.

I wish Rivers would develop or sell those terrible surface lots on Delaware Ave. If only we just kept what was there, we'd have our own Domino Sugar Building like Williamsburg. Torn down in 1997:

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Well thank stinks it's not Louis Vuitton! Still, Figs is a somewhat respectable, if not a niche brand.



Man, that sucks! Walnut Street cannot catch a damn break.

Yeah someone needs to get retail brokers, Walnut landlords and Rittenhouse Row together and be like, “look guys, this is getting ridiculous…” lol

I remember years ago the excuse was “well floor plates on Walnut are too small for them be marketed competitively”. There’s always some rationalization and I’m frankly over it

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by BroadandMarket

I wish Rivers would develop or sell those terrible surface lots on Delaware Ave. If only we just kept what was there, we'd have our own Domino Sugar Building like Williamsburg. Torn down in 1997:

Which is currently undergoing a $250M renovation into offices/entertainment. The glass dome (part of the renovation) is really visible from FDR drive. Philly missed the mark on that.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

Bummer. I think another problem with Walnut compared to other urban shopping districts is that it sort of blossomed a bit too late. I remember in the late 2000’s it really started to take off with a surge of higher end retail coming in - Burberry, Michael Kors, Juicy Couture etc. Maybe at the time retailers could justify having two locations at KOP and Walnut but then it sort of crested with the shift to online (ie the retail apocalypse of the late 2010’s) and then obviously Covid just exacerbated that trend. It’s had a relatively short period to establish itself.

Burberry had been there since the 80s until Scotch & Soda moved in. Between the challenges facing retail and the economy in general, and Philadelphia in particular, I can’t muster much enthusiasm for the future of Walnut Street high-end retail. I’m adopting a wait-and-see approach with a pessimistic slant.

[UrbanRevival]

It's also clear that luxury retail is bearing more of the brunt of inflation-induced shifts in spending, so the idea of buying $200 jeans or a $160 hoodie from Scotch & Soda clearly isn't going to win over as many shoppers as a few years ago. This article is from February:

Luxury Brands Must Prepare For A ‘Richcession’

Looking out over the next six months, a new study from PwC predicts more of the same or worse may be headed for luxury brands. Its Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey, measuring over 9,000 consumers across 25 markets, found that the luxury/premium sectors will take the brunt of a spending slowdown.

Finding that 53% of consumers are holding back on non-essential spending, with luxury being the most non-essential of all, PwC reports that 96% of all surveyed consumers intend to make some adjustments to their spending habits.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanz...h=2b26e6003c47

But as everything else economically, it's all cyclical. If inflation continues to ease for the next year, we'll see luxury shopping interest re-emerge, as well.

[Skintreesnail]

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

That’s why I’d like to see more retail activated west of the square now that The Laurel is over there. It might shake things up a bit. That Bang and Olufsen has been chillin by itself for awhile now lol

Yeah, i think west of the square could pull off a Newbury street vibe if it tried. They could market it as square west or something.

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

Burberry had been there since the 80s until Scotch & Soda moved in. Between the challenges facing retail and the economy in general, and Philadelphia in particular, I can’t muster much enthusiasm for the future of Walnut Street high-end retail. I’m adopting a wait-and-see approach with a pessimistic slant.

Yeah, that’s where I’m at as well. I forgot Burberry had been there longer, but Walnut did seem to have nice momentum between between maybe 2010-2018ish. At its zenith, it had Barney’s Co-op (think it later became a regular Barney’s), Burberry, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren etc that gave it a high end feel. Not to mention, the opening of the Apple store really changed the 1600 block. Also, having BR as an anchor at Broad is something to be missed. I think if those trends had continued without being interrupted by online and Covid, we’d probably be just a tier below Newbury by now but instead we’re several.

[summersm343]

Historic Building Moves for “Old First House” Shelter in Old City

Remarkably, the 1760s rowhouse is getting picked up and moved to the southern end of the property along 4th Street. The impetus for this move is a plan for a five-story, 34-unit homeless shelter at the corner. This project, called Old First House, comes to us thanks to Old First Church, which has been providing shelter for the homeless since the 1980s, Community Ventures, and DePaul USA, with a design from O Z Collaborative. The project will entail 34 efficiency units, community rooms, offices, and 2,400 sqft of commercial space will activate the corner while providing crucial services for those in need. The non-historically protected 1970s reconstruction will be meeting the wrecking ball to make space for the new construction.

Read/view more here:
https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...r-in-old-city/

[summersm343]

Vagelos Laboratory Coming into Form Along Edge of Penn’s Campus













Read/view more here:
https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...-penns-campus/

[summersm343]

Pickleball and Methadone at 16th & Washington?

Read/view more here:
https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...th-washington/

[summersm343]

Ground Floor Assembled At 841-51 South 2nd Street In Queen Village

Philadelphia YIMBY’s recent site visit has noted continued progress at a four-story, 42-unit mixed-use project under construction at 841-51 South 2nd Street in Queen Village, South Philadelphia. The building rises at the northeast corner of 2nd and Christian streets. Designed by Harman Deutsch Ohler Architecture (HDO Architecture), the development will span 54,313 square feet, with a plaza at the street corner and retail on the ground floor, as well as a roof deck. Permits list Indian Harbour Asset Management LLC as the contractor and a construction cost of $6.79 million.

Read/view more here:
https://phillyyimby.com/2023/06/grou...ladelphia.html

[summersm343]

YIMBY Takes A Closer Look At Chocolate Factory Development At 2101 Washington Avenue In Graduate Hospital

Recently, Philly YIMBY shared an update covering the redevelopment of the former Frankford Chocolate Factory site at 2101 Washington Avenue in Graduate Hospital, South Philadelphia, where a six-story, 247-unit mixed-use building is currently rising; today we share additional site documentation of this notable development. Designed by JKRP Architects and developed by OCF Realty, the project spans the north side of the block between South 22nd and South 23rd streets. The sizable structure rises from a 49,800-square-foot footprint and will offer 195,131 square feet of interior space, which will include nearly 40,000 square feet of ground-level commercial space. Permits list OCF Construction LLC as the contractor and a construction cost of $40 million. Construction is also well underway at the townhouse portion of the project, which consists of 40 four-story, two-family dwellings, arranged in two rows of 20 and separated by a mid-block drive aisle. The typical structure will span 2,416 square feet and will feature a roof deck and parking.

Read/view more here:
https://phillyyimby.com/2023/06/yimb...ladelphia.html

[summersm343]

Construction Complete At 943-49 Washington Avenue In Bella Vista

A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY has confirmed that construction work is complete at a five-story, 24-unit residential building underway at 943-49 Washington Avenue in Bella Vista, South Philadelphia. The project rises on the northeast corner of the intersection of Washington Avenue and South 10th Street, just to the north of the Italian Market. Upon completion, The building will span 29,535 square feet and will feature ground-level retail. Permits list TBC LLC as the contractor and Lonny Rossman as the design professional. Construction costs are specified at $4.2 million.

Read/view more here:
https://phillyyimby.com/2023/07/cons...ladelphia.html