PHILADELPHIA | Broad & Lombard | 552 FT | 43 FLOORS

[mcgrath618]

Goldenberg? Building something that isn't a parking lot???? Hell hath frozen over!

Title: Broad & Lombard
Architect: SITIO architecture + urbanism
Developer: Goldenberg, Badger Group
Location: 500 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
District: Center City
Neighborhood: Avenue of the Arts
Floors: 43
Height: 552 FT

Outdated Renderings and Article:




(Outdated Article) Virgin Hotel Coming to Broad & Lombard?

	
	

			
				
Things went quiet for a couple of years, as we suspect progress was slowed due to the pandemic. But we’ve seen some hints over the last year or so that give us confidence that things are happening here, albeit slowly. The Philadelphia Business Journal reported in February 2021 that while delayed, plans were indeed still moving forward. In fact, we even got a bit more information specifying “a dynamic mixed-use development that includes residential, student housing, hospitality, restaurants and grocery,” according to a statement from the Goldenberg Group. This seemed like a fairly confident and factual statement, especially given how hospitality programming was only “likely” at the initial announcement.

Coincidentally (or not?), Virgin Hotels issued a press release earlier that same February publicizing their new 2021 openings. Buried in the very last sentence was this highly intriguing statement: “Virgin Hotels continues to explore hotel and office conversions and ground-up development in Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, and London.” Well, isn’t that interesting, especially seeing Philly as the lead city. Having lost out on an SLS Hotel when plans shifted for the Arthaus condo tower, we always thought that a shmancy hotel would be an exciting fit for South Broad.

So why do we keep going on about hotels? Are we experiencing a Broad Street fever dream? Well not entirely, because according to some renderings we stumbled upon on the Badger Group’s website, it appears that Virgin Hotels may be eying the very lot we’ve been discussing. Without further ado, check out the renderings below for Broad & South, with design again brought to you by SOM.
			
		
https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...-broad-lombard

[Airydite]

Exciting project. Is the larger tower really ~32 floors (I count ~35 or 36)?

[thoughtcriminal]

not terrible, but I have to think that one tall tower could have been better than two shorter ones here.

[chimpskibot]

Originally Posted by thoughtcriminal

not terrible, but I have to think that one tall tower could have been better than two shorter ones here.

Have you seen the lot they working with? I don't think one large building would have been possible here without it overpowering the site or having to buy air rights (is that a thing in philly?) from the health clinic in the middle.

[summersm343]

Love this project. Practically perfection for this site. Love everything about it. Hope it happens

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by thoughtcriminal

not terrible, but I have to think that one tall tower could have been better than two shorter ones here.

Disagree. Not for this site. I think this is the perfect project for this site. It's a massive site, so having two towers here works well. Plus, we're at the southern tip of the Philadelphia skyline here. I think a taller tower would look ridiculously out of place honestly and would throw the skyline off balance.

[Raja]

Whewee is it hot in here or what.... BUILD IT NOW!

[Skintreesnail]

I didn't think I'd care, but I'm glad they're planning to keep that medical center building. It has this retro vibe that works with the new build.

[McBane]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Disagree. Not for this site. I think this is the perfect project for this site. It's a massive site, so having two towers here works well. Plus, we're at the southern tip of the Philadelphia skyline here. I think a taller tower would look ridiculously out of place honestly and would throw the skyline off balance.

Agreed. Summers, is this the project you were alluding to in the main thread?

I like this. 375 ft is great height for this end of Broad. Even 300 ft is decent height here and that's the height of the shorter building. Two towers will extend the skyline and create a nice little canyon effect down Broad (surprised they didn't show that angle in the renders).

As for that ridiculous "historic" building, not sure how that will turn out; looks okay in the renderings but I'm uncertain how will it actually end up and integrated with the new construction.

[fairmounter]

I also count 35 to 36 floors instead of 32

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by McBane

Agreed. Summers, is this the project you were alluding to in the main thread?

I like this. 375 ft is great height for this end of Broad. Even 300 ft is decent height here and that's the height of the shorter building. Two towers will extend the skyline and create a nice little canyon effect down Broad (surprised they didn't show that angle in the renders).

As for that ridiculous "historic" building, not sure how that will turn out; looks okay in the renderings but I'm uncertain how will it actually end up and integrated with the new construction.

Summers said in the Highrise thread that this is unrelated to the project he’d alluded to.

[kool-ski]

Interestingly, a day after OCF Realty revealed the news, the Badger Group has altered the information regarding this property, as well as its Penn Landing redevelopment, substantially including renders.

https://thebadgergroupllc.com/projects/#Commercial

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Disagree. Not for this site. I think this is the perfect project for this site. It's a massive site, so having two towers here works well. Plus, we're at the southern tip of the Philadelphia skyline here. I think a taller tower would look ridiculously out of place honestly and would throw the skyline off balance.

Being concerned with the visual balance of the skyline comes from having a protracted 'up' period of construction. I can't ever remember a proposed building being viewed as being too tall, with the possible exception of the infamous ACC (sorry to mention its name again)

One of the general complaints with the Post Bros./Blatstein project a block away is that it doesn't have any height. I think if this project ever gets off of paper and is built, it would certainly be a plus for the area----I hope there's no above ground parking for either building----and if for some reason the south tower, the residential tower, grew by 10 or more stories, that would be fine with me, even if the skyline was in danger somehow.

The existing health center building looks lost in this concept, like the poor 2nd cousin at a wedding, but unless one could build on top of it, whatever might get built here is going to be a design challenge. I'd say this project is highly speculative. Hell, Goldenburg doesn't build anything, never mind something creative!

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by City Wide

Being concerned with the visual balance of the skyline comes from having a protracted 'up' period of construction. I can't ever remember a proposed building being viewed as being too tall, with the possible exception of the infamous ACC (sorry to mention its name again)

One of the general complaints with the Post Bros./Blatstein project a block away is that it doesn't have any height. I think if this project ever gets off of paper and is built, it would certainly be a plus for the area----I hope there's no above ground parking for either building----and if for some reason the south tower, the residential tower, grew by 10 or more stories, that would be fine with me, even if the skyline was in danger somehow.

The existing health center building looks lost in this concept, like the poor 2nd cousin at a wedding, but unless one could build on top of it, whatever might get built here is going to be a design challenge. I'd say this project is highly speculative. Hell, Goldenburg doesn't build anything, never mind something creative!

Goldenberg since 2013/2014 has built 4 highrises in Philadelphia. Not sure why people keep saying they don't build anything. They've built more than most developers in less than 10 years time. Are they Brandywine Realty Trust? No, but they do still build. If they pull Broad & South off, I'll have 100% confidence in them moving forward.

[towerpower123]

This is a fantastic project and I love what I am seeing! I would love to see sidewalk level perspectives but it seems like its nice and glassy at street level

[Gatorade_Jim]

The larger tower really reminds me of River Walk for some reason.

[JohnIII]

I'm just sitting here thinking; the taller tower at present is planned for 375; so to give it some perspective the Jefferson Center/former Aramark Tower is 417 or about that; so this give some idea of the positive affects this tower can have on the skyline overall; it will be about 30 feet shorter.

Due to the location of the tower this tower can have a real positive affect on the skyline.

[Redddog]

Is this just a proposal or is this project gonna actually rise?

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Goldenberg since 2013/2014 has built 4 highrises in Philadelphia. Not sure why people keep saying they don't build anything. They've built more than most developers in less than 10 years time. Are they Brandywine Realty Trust? No, but they do still build. If they pull Broad & South off, I'll have 100% confidence in them moving forward.

People, around here especially, are pissed at Goldenberg for the Disney Hole.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by JohnIII

I'm just sitting here thinking; the taller tower at present is planned for 375; so to give it some perspective the Jefferson Center/former Aramark Tower is 417 or about that; so this give some idea of the positive affects this tower can have on the skyline overall; it will be about 30 feet shorter.

Due to the location of the tower this tower can have a real positive affect on the skyline.

Or a simpler way to analyze it is that it's exactly the same height as Symphony House literally across the street. Just visualize a second tower next to SH.