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Wed
Jun 20
2012

Another Residential Tower Proposed for Columbus Blvd.

Last week, we told you about a 200-unit apartment building being proposed on North Columbus Blvd., between to Sugarhouse casino and Waterfront Square. At the same Planning Commission meeting where these plans were discussed, the same architects, Cope Linder, presented plans for another tower on the same street, just a couple of miles to the south.

The site

This project, which would be located at 735 S. Columbus Blvd., would sit directly to the south of the building that most resembles a cruise ship in the city, the Residences at Dockside. The developers intend to demolish Pier 34-35, which is partially collapsed at this time, and rebuild and reorient the pier in shallower water.

View of the pier

Once this is accomplished, the plan is to construct a twelve-story, 204 unit building with 204 parking spaces. Tentatively, a fitness center is planned for the retail space fronting the street, but the developers could be convinced to lease the space, should retail prove viable for the location.

Take a look at this rendering:

Tentative design

At the presentation, the architects indicated that the vertical panels you see above will move, simulating the light reflecting on the water. Seems dizzying to us, but we’ll see. Also, while it looks like the building sits almost on top of the adjacent property, it’s just a trick of the perspective of the rendering. The site plan clearly shows plenty of space between the two buildings.

See what we mean?

While the idea of a new building near Sugarhouse made a little sense to us, considering the relatively easy access to Fishtown and the expected Penn Treaty Village development nearby, this development seems far less intuitive. Are people really clamoring to live across the street from the entrance to I-95? Sure, they’d have great access to the highway, but if your main goal living in the city is easy access to the highways and bridges, and walkability is totally unimportant, wouldn’t it just make more sense to live in Jersey?

Across the street

10
COMMENTS
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Posted in Queen Village | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments
  • Philly Tipster

    I wouldn’t want to live there, but I am in favor of just about ANYthing that distracts from the hideousness that is the Dockside Apartment building. 

  • cinquecento

    I dont know either, but hopefully all of the new residential construction can create a critical mass. And then hopefully that critical mass can lead to things like making the waterfront more pedestrian friendly (like by taking a lane out of delaware avenue/capping some parts of i-95), and filling in other lots in line with the waterfront master plan.

  • http://www.facebook.com/bobbydombroski Bobby Dombroski

    I wouldn’t go as far as to say one could compare this to just living in Jersey.  Regardless of the view across the street. People would be walking distance to Penn’s Landing, Queens Village and the restaurants/shopping there, an extremely easy walk to the south street bridge connecting to Society Hill, as well as having the East Coast Greenway right outside your door, better known as the Columbus ave. bike lane. Right now it may not be super attractive, but then again, either is anything by the Sugarhouse. Built it, hopefully someone will come.

  • Michael Warrington

    I would love to own a dockside unit, but they are out of my price range.  The south street pedestrian bridge is right there, which gives you access to all of center city and the awesome neighborhood of queen village by foot.  You get all of the benefits of the city, while having a peaceful, quiet, and secure home on the river.  Sounds ideal to me!

  • Guest

    Is this and Dockside in the Meredith catchment?

  • Corey

    This is great. A giant residential project with no practical retail nearby and plenty of parking. You couldn’t try any harder to encourage these future residents to make all trips by car. Where are the traffic studies? Will there even by any?

    Sadly, the city is continuing to build itself into a giant traffic jam. We’re still stuck in the Bacon days.

  • qguy

    It will have a bike/ped trail right outside the door, but not the East Coast Greenway. The ECG will come down the river and follow Spring Garden Street west to the Schuylkill River Trail. (At least that’s the plan to date.)

  • http://www.facebook.com/bobbydombroski Bobby Dombroski

    My apologies, We are sorta both correct on this one. The “trail” aspect of the Greenway do turn and head up Spring Garden, but they consider Columbus Blvd. and “on road” section of the trail. http://www.greenway.org/pdf/PA.pdf
    Both paths will still get you to Delaware and other points south.

  • http://centraldelawareadvocacygroup.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/weekly-update-june-15-22/ Weekly Update June 15-22 « Central Delaware Advocacy Group
  • spjkck

    With the mostly empty units at Spring Garden, why would they want to build something so near, i.e., near the Sugar House. Maybe it’s focused on gamblers so they don’t have to comute far.

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