COMCAST CENTER (OFFICE BUILDING)

'Comcast Center' is a skyscraper currently under construction in Center City Philadelphia. It is scheduled to be completed in March 2008^[1]. As of June 18, 2007, it became the tallest building in Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in an official topping-out ceremony led by Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street.
When the final beam in the construction was raised on June 18th, ironworkers of Local Union 401 attached a small figurine of William Penn to the beam in homage to the statue atop Philadelphia City Hall, and in a half-joking attempt to break the curse of Billy Penn

Contents

Design and Construction

Notable Events

Ownership

See also

External links

References

Design and Construction

South elevation. One Liberty Place is reflected in the glass.

Designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects, LLP, it will rise to a height of 975 feet (297 m), Comcast Center will have 57 floors, 56 rentable with of office space and about of retail facilities. As of 2005, over 70% of the office space has been reserved. In 2006, the building was valued at $523 million.^[2]

Comcast building near completion take from the Camden Waterfront on September 8 2007

The building is situated between Arch Street, 17th Street, 18th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard (the building's footprint obliterated a one block section of Cuthbert Street). While its official address will be 1701 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, the tower itself rises on the Arch Street side of the block, due to the Suburban Station concourse and rail tunnel that run directly beneath Liberty Plaza in front of Comcast Center.
Part of the public space includes a new entrance to the SEPTA's Suburban Station with a high glass-enclosed winter garden. Other features include:

★ multiple three-story stacked atria rising on the south face of the building

★ ½ acre landscaped public park, Liberty Plaza, with a fountain display and an outdoor cafe seating 85.

★ expansion of Suburban Station's underground retail concourse

★ 500-seat concourse level dining court

★ 120 private space underground parking garage

★ new entrance lobby addition to historic Arch Street Presbyterian Church

★ sustainable building design with the goal of achieving a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council

★ waterless urinals

The project had originally been named ''One Pennsylvania Plaza'', however, when Philadelphia-based Comcast Corporation agreed to a significant presence in the tower — taking on 39 floors in a 15 1/2-year lease — the entire project was named after Comcast.
The building has gone through four iterations before the current and final design was adopted. The second version of One Pennsylvania Plaza would have risen to a height of with 62 stories, making it the tallest building in The United States outside of New York and Chicago.
A second 16-story, companion tower is planned for the southwestern section of the parcel.
Upon completion, will contain the largest Tuned Liquid Column Damper (TLCD) in the world.^[3]

Comcast building along with the rest of the Philadelphia Skyline taken on the Camden Waterfront on September 8 2007

Notable Events

On February 11 2007 two men parachuted off the tower and onto the streets below.^[4]

Ownership

The building was begun by Liberty Property Trust of Malvern, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania state government has contributed $30 million for the building's public spaces. In 2006, Liberty Property Trust sold 80% of their interest in the building to CommerzLeasing & Immobilien AG, a German company and subsidiary of Commerzbank AG. Liberty will continue to operate the Comcast Center as a joint venture with Commerzbank. The 80%-Part of the CommerzLeasing & Immobilien AG will merge into a closed end fund, sold in Germany by another daughter of the Commerzbank, the Commerz Fonds Beteiligungen, CFB.

See also

★ Curse of Billy Penn

★ List of tallest buildings in Philadelphia

★ List of tallest buildings by U.S. state

★ List of tallest buildings in the United States

★ List of tallest buildings in the world

External links

★ Comcast Center to become tallest skyscraper in fall 2007

★ Official Comcast Site

★ phillyskyline.com

★ Emporis

★ SkyscraperSunset.com

★ Comcast Center thread on Skyscraperpage.com

★ Philadelphia Inquirer's Construction Slideshow

★ Comcast Center gallery @dragonballyee.com

References

1. Comcast Center topped off, , Henry J., Holcomb, The Philadelphia Inquirer,
2. Liberty sells 80% of Comcast Center
3. Motioneering
4. Daredevils Jump From Comcast Tower