Amazingly, it's been almost a year since we last checked in on the huge CHOP project on Schuylkill Avenue. At that time, the former Springfield Beer Distributor air hangar was in the process of being demolished and the former JFK Vocational School was next on the, ahem, "chopping" block. The months have rolled off the calendar and the old beer distributor building is long gone. The school, originally built as a Marine Corps Supply Depot, has likewise been torn down, though that effort took a little while. Today, we see a bonafide construction site.
We know a little something about development, but can't, for the life of us, tell you exactly what's going on right now at this complex site. Suffice to say the project is still in its underground phase but given the large crew and the collection of construction equipment, it should soon become much more visible from Schuylkill Avenue and eventually from across the river.
In case you don't remember, the current construction is for the first of four buildings planned for this site. That 23-story office tower will be joined by a promenade at the South Street bridge that leads to an extended Schuylkill River Trail, a large public green space on Schuylkill Avenue that leads to views of the river, and a couple of retail spaces. There will also be parking for 500 cars. The building, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli and Cooper Robertson & Partners, will look like this:
Though it's very much subject to change, here's an idea of what this thing will look like once all the phases are built:
We'll make sure we check in on this project again before its scheduled completion in 2017.