When we last checked in on the corner of 15th & Walnut, we learned that the plans to tear down the existing structures and replace them with a new building designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson was a go. Over the last year, old tenants have cleared out and moved to new locations, and the three properties closest to the corner have sat empty. But they will not be sitting much longer. A couple of weeks ago, demolition efforts began at this site, with only the smallest amount of work apparent so far. But new fences have certainly made driving here a little more precarious.
From what we know, the new building will have Cheesecake Factory as a tenant on the second floor. Initially, there were plans for a bank on the first floor and Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo above the restaurant. The bank, from what we understand, pulled out of the project. Uniqlo will instead be opening on the 1600 block of Chestnut Street. So we don't know about any other tenants aside from the inexplicably popular restaurant chain at this point. Still, the building is gonna look pretty awesome.
As before, we love the look of the structure but wish it was a few floors taller. If we had to guess, we'd bet that the upper floor will ultimately have office space and the first floor will be divided into some smaller retail spaces. Though we wouldn't be sad to see a CB2 or a Crate and Barrel take over an entire floor, as some readers have suggested. But for now, it seems we'll just have to wait and see what comes here. In the meantime, if you'd like to see these buildings before they disappear forever, we suggest you head over to 15th & Walnut in the next week or so.