Philadelphia is BACK and there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

NOW!

 Now THAT is a motivated developer.

                   Is there any other point in Philadelphia history when renderings for a new building could be found on a bus? This has to be a record or something. However, as silly as it seems, this is a good thing. This is a sign that Philadelphia big-ass building development is BACK. Motherfucker.
                  A buttload of construction is going on right now... more cranes in the sky at once than we had during the last boom. The new buildings aren't THAT gigantic but they are the kind of infill that the city has needed for years. Besides all the new shit going up, lots of old shit is getting renovated or about to be. Even as this has been going on, I was in denial about new shit being built in Philly--- like this was a blip.
                Well, I'm finally gonna admit to all of you that Philadelphia is BACK in the big-ass construction game and there's a shitload more to come. The newest proposals include a 27-story office building at 19th and Arch (across from apartments about to be built), a 500+ foot W Hotel, some (mediocre) waterfront stuff, and new midrises/renovations for Old City, Chinatown North, and West Philly. Also, older proposals have returned from limbo-- hence the picture above.
                On top of all that, PREIT is soon going to present its plan for the Gallery-- a $300 Million project. You could buy a skyscraper for that, so they'd better make it good... or a skyscraper. This has the potential of saving the shittiest part of Center City. Speaking of shitty parts of Center City, even Chestnut East has been showing improvement.
               Back in 2007 or so, we had so many things in the proposal, site prep, and construction stages that it was difficult to keep up with all of them. Legendary Philaphile Brad Maule organized them into a single spreadsheet called The Skinny to keep us all atitty of the situation. Well, those times are back... except without the spreadsheet. Anyone out there want to take on the task of making it?

         

Dead-Ass Proposal of the Week-- September 25th

Penn's Landing Atlantis

Penn's Landing

                Penn's Landing... is it cursed? No matter what the proposal for its redevelopment is, practical or impractical, kick-ass looking or silly-looking, none of it ever happens... ever. This city has been trying to get this little spot on the waterfront developed since the 1950's and has either failed miserably or only gotten the initial pre-phases built every time. I wonder if it has something to do with that gigantic interstate highway running alongside?
                Read more at the Philadelphia Citypaper's Naked City Blog!

Old-Ass Building of the Week-- September 24th

Winston Building

1006 Arch Street

                 Wow, what a building. Chinatown's Winston Building, known to most Philadelphians as That Building In Back of the Bus Station, was once headquarters to one of the world's most prolific publishers, the John C. Winston Company. Beautifully restored, standing proud, and still sporting its original signage, this eight story beast shines like no other.
                Read more at the Hidden City Daily!

Newsflash!! Morons Stay Up All Night Waiting in Line for a Fucking Phone

Earth

September 21, 2012

Pictured: morons. Source: brg.com

                               One day in the future, some high school textbook will have a chapter describing our time labeled "The Fall of Western Civilization". On the front page, they'll show a picture of  a bunch of morons waiting in line all night to buy a fucking phone.
                               I'm not anti-capitalist or anti-consumerist or anti-Apple, but I'm proud to say that people who care this much about the release of a stupid phone are fucking nuts. Its very rare that I get to take the moral highground on, well, anything, but in this situation... what a bunch of dumbasses. Nothing is worth doing this... nothing. I may care to expand on the intracacies of historical information about a specific and obscure piece of construction, but I don't care about ANYTHING this much. If a store was selling Willis G. Hale's bones for $5 each, I would still at least wait until after I got home from work to go buy one.
                             By the way, that picture above is not from this morning or yesterday, its from THREE DAYS AGO. Those fucks are still in line as of this writing. You have nothing fucking better to do than wait in a line for three days? FOR A PHONE!?!?!??! Go to hell.

And the band played on...

                     Remember that time Mayor Street waited in line for a phone on city time? That corrupt bastard had the gall to make a bunch of shitty excuses trying to justify it... I remember some newscaster interviewing him live while he was on line, saying something to the effect of "Are you fucking insane?!?!?!?"



Pictured: a really, really shitty mayor (and asshole). Source: Mirror on America blog

               People don't just do this shit about phones.. they do it for sneakers, video games, dvd releases.. all kinds of shit. I very rarely get to tell people this, so let me indulge:

GET A FUCKING LIFE!!!     

Update!!! -- September 19th

                   Hello, this is Robert Stack and you are now reading this in my voice. Since the inception of Philaphilia in April, 2011, quite has bit has changed in our fair city. Play this Youtube clip for the appropriate music:



Update! The Broad Street Shitjungle has been cleared a bit and now sports renderings of the upcoming Southstar Lofts. Build it!!

Update! The newest incarnation of Race Street 205 is getting tons of support despite NIMBY concerns. A new rendering is out there and zoning notices have been posted on the site. Build it!

Update! The crappy new 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on September 11th. Whoda thunk it?

Update! The shitty Bicentennial Bell Tower is one step closer to being destroyed... renderings showing the (crappy) design of the new American Revolution Center have been released.

Its kind of ok I guess.

Update! In case you've been under a rock for the last few months, the new Barnes Foundation museum is now open to the public. Go check out its kitchen countertop facade up close!

Update! Construction is about to begin at 3737 Market Street, eliminating one of the two University  City Science Center lots. Huzzah!

Yawn, but better than an empty lot.

Update! A new proposal has come along for the World Trade Square site, a crappy-looking and unlikely residential complex by the same "developer".

You know how they say "Never say never?" I'm saying "never".

Update! Another addition to the Fisher Translational Research Center/Roberts Proton Therapy Center is currently under construction. That was fast!!

Update! The Shitz Carlton Waldorf Awhoria Fail Lot will soon be no more!! A Philadelphia W Hotel is in the works for this spot and is now fully approved, with funding!!! Construction is to begin in the Spring. Huzzah! Build it!!

Update! The Deadly Disappontment Lot is gone! Construction continues on the disappointing-looking Home2Suites that will replace it. Huzzah!!

Update! The U.S. Customs House's facade is now restored and looking a helluva lot better!

Daaayyyummm

Update! The Great NIMBY Memorial is one step closer to disappearing. Toll Brothers is about to start building a crappy residential development. NIMBYs will probably kill it before it starts.


A bit lame.

Update! The G. Fred Diboner Lot now is the site of a new 20+ story residential building proposal by Brandywine. No renders yet, but at least there's hope for this shitbird of a lot.

There are still many unsolved Mystery Buildings that need your help. For every development, there's someone, somewhere, who knows the truth. Perhaps that someone is reading this. Perhaps... it's you. If you have any new or extra information relating to articles posted at Philaphilia, write to us at rhaandarite@gmail.com. You need not give your name.

Empty Lot of the Week-- September 18th

Jayne Estate Lot of Sorrow

Bounded by Columbus Boulevard, Vine Street, and Water Street

                   What a pathetic pile of shit. This particular piece of land has no excuse to be so empty. This thing was more occupied when it was half river. The past decade and some change marks the ONLY time this lot has been empty. Fucking horrible!!
                 Read more later today at the Philadelphia Citypaper's Naked City Blog!

RDA, you are a bunch of fucking morons.

1138 South 20th Street

                               In case you missed it in the news today or on Naked Philly, the Redevelopment Authority is coming after OCF's Ori Feibush because he cleaned up a shitty empty lot with FORTY TONS of trash on it. They are seriously coming after a dude who spent $20,000 cleaning up 20 years worth of neighborhood trash. Is this the fucking Bizarro World? From this:

RDA preferred configuration.

                       To this:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

                   The RDA is actually trying to sue Ori F. about this. At this point, what is he supposed to do? Find 40 tons of similar trash and re-dump it in the lot? Whoever is running things over at the RDA is fucking bananas. In the news article, Ori states that he's attempted to purchase the lot numerous times and has been rebuffed. Fucking corrupt assholes... I guess he was supposed to hand over unmarked envelopes of cash to a certain person or run through a carwash of giant penises in City Hall to get this done. Instead, threats of a lawsuit for cleaning it up.
                   This makes the city look horrible. How the fuck are we supposed to improve this place if the city government itself does everything it can to stand in the way? What a bunch of corrupt shiftless bastards. I guess Ori's not in the Kickback Corruption Superfriends Club that runs this city. Make sure to tell everyone you know about this and remember this shit when in that voting booth.

FUCK THE RDA!!!!