One prominent preservationist who advised the President’s House Oversight Committee, believes a wrong decision made at a critical juncture in the process - the discovery of actual, physical remnants of the old mansion - will leave Philadelphia with a monument that is not as powerful as it could or should be.Īt that point, said University of Pennsylvania architecture professor Frank Matero, the design phase of the project should have returned to square one by re-opening the design competition, and a new winner should have been selected by the public. Getting to that point was not a simple process, largely because the stories the memorial will tell about this nation's first two presidents and the nine Africans who George Washington held captive, mean so much to so many. Coard, who founded the Avenging The Ancestors Coalition in order to be sure the project included the stories of the enslaved Africans who lived at the house, called it "a gigantic leap toward making history in America."įoundation work is set to start this spring. Hours after the Delaware Regional Port Authority's Wednesday vote to earmark $3.5 million for the project, attorney Michael Coard remained jubilant. With more than six years of planning behind them and the funds needed to complete construction and create an endowment now secure, most people involved with the President's House commemoration project are looking forward to the projected Fall 2010 opening. Governor Rendell wants President's House fast-tracked Render credit: Kelly-Maiello via Plan Philly This building on Market Street served as the Executive Mansion of the United States from 1790 to 1800, the "White House" of George Washington and John Adams )Ĭonjectural elevation of the President's House in Philadelphia, ©2000-2006 Edward Lawler, Jr. I think I remember someone on PhillyVII saying they should generate some revenue by placing advertising on that huge-a** roof. In the long run, a green roof would SAVE the state money, but convincing our legislature to spend more money now in order to save money in the future isn't going to happen. However, this building was designed before the Nutter administration was elected and before all of the current buzz about energy conservation and alternatives or environmental impact issues were making headlines. If money were no object, making this a "green" building would be huge in showing that this city and state are committed to the green movement. I expect there will be quality issues and shortcuts taken in order to make the deadline.
And of course, being Philly and the whole pay-to-play atmosphere, I am sure the state (er, we taxpayers) are going to get ripped-off trying to get this building done in time.
They were even pretty under-handed in how they went about it, IMO. The state had to spend more than it anticipated to buy out all of the property owners and demolish the buildings in the expansion zone. That, and the problem with the rest of Pennsylvania (ie: Pennsyltucky) not wanting to spend anymore money funding something they feel will only benefit Philly. Putting in a green roof would be fantastic, but the state has to go the el-cheapo route since they are already over budget and they have a time factor to deal with.they already have events booked in the new section in 2011. The following picture of the Convention Center's western wall (along 13th St) being removed was originally posted by Muji over on Philly VII () (images Kelly/Maiello Architects & Planners) More than 280,000 additional room nights and more than $140 million in economic impact annually.Ģ,000 hospitality-related jobs equaling more than $150 million in economic impact. The expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center will result in: The ability to host large tradeshows or two major conventions simultaneously. The largest convention center ballroom on the East Coast (60,000 sq. The largest contiguous exhibit space in the Northeast (541,000 sq. The Expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center will have: Original Architects: Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback And Associates ()Įxpansion Architects: Vitetta Group () & Kelly/Maiello ()Ĭonstruction Management: Tishman Construction () Owner: Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority Redevelopment Component: 20-story Liberty Title Tower Usage: Convention, Tradeshow, and Exhibition Space (Image - Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau) Pennsylvania Convention Center - Expansion MODERATOR SAYS: This is now the Philadelphia General Developments Thread.