After telling you about a residential conversion for 1701 Market St. just yesterday, we are pleased to report we have some more details, including some initial updates on the design and amenities. But first, a quick reminder of the current state of the office building in question, which sits in the heart of the Central Business District.

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A look at the beige building today

After speculating about the plans, we now have more information thanks to a handy little zoning permit. Though reports earlier this year indicated that Alterra Property Group had moved on from pursuing a project here, the permit indicates that Alterra is indeed still involved, with NORR handling the architecture duties. As we indicated yesterday, the rectangular building, which rises 18 stories, will be converted into residences, with 325 units proposed on the upper floors, parking for the lower floors, and commercial/retail space along the ground level.

The above grade parking will include 189 spaces for cars and zero for bikes, thanks to the grandfathered current parking configuration. The roof deck will also get a major upgrade, with decorative wall treatments, seating spaces, a green roof, a dog run, oh – and an infinity pool looking toward Center City as the crown jewel. From the looks of the elevations drawings, it appears that the facade will get an industrial treatment, but it’s tough to tell much from what we have at the moment.

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Site plan shows a dog run, roof deck, and infinity edge pool
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East and north facades show off industrial-styled windows
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Other facades showcase a similar look

Since this is just a zoning application, the aesthetics are still very much an open question and we could see just about anything happen here, design-wise. Perhaps we’ll end up with something like the contemporary renovation of the nearby Franklin Tower, or maybe something with a bit more of an industrial vibe. No matter the design, we will certainly see fleshed out plans before anything else happens here, as the project will trigger a trip to Civic Design Review, despite being in an existing building. However it looks, we’re just pleased to see plans come into focus to add highly desirable apartments to a prominent location, instead of what we’d expect would be long-term office vacancy.