Morning Headlines: Civic Design Review Committee Gives Thumbs Up to Comcast & Foster

Rendering of CITC.
Photo courtesy of Comcast Corporate.

The Civic Design Review Committee may not have the final say as to which projects get the go-ahead, but yesterday their approval of Comcast’s proposed Innovation and Technology Center, designed by London architect Norman Foster, ended the regulatory process for the building. Developers are now permits away from commencing construction this summer.

According to PlanPhilly’s Jared Brey, the Committee had good things to say about the tower’s design, with a few suggestions:

Some committee members had concerns about the number of security bollards around the base of the building, which will be built at 18th and Arch streets in Center City. John Gattuso of Liberty Property Trust said that the bollards are a necessary protection against the threats—-he wouldn’t go into specifics—-that accompany buildings of the proposed scale. Other committee members encouraged the developer to integrate the project with the city’s nascent bikeshare program. Gattuso said they will look into it.

Developer Liberty Property Trust and architect Foster are not required to present any more material.

• New Comcast tower cleared for takeoff [PlanPhilly]

In other news…

• Korman Communities spends big on renovating the Franklin [Philadelphia Business Journal]

• Landscapes of history [Northeast Times]

• 1725 Chestnut sold for $2.2M: Retail or restaurant?

• Chester’s crumbling Deshong Mansion demolished [Inquirer]

• End of an era at Third and Market