Remember the World Trade Center Renaissance Plaza project along the Delaware River at Columbus Boulevard and Callowhill Street? Well, some new details have emerged and guess what is front and center? Yup, you guessed it, parking. Only this time, it's probably a good thing — 96 spaces will be added to the complex that will feature over 91,000 square feet of office/retail space to go with about 1,360 apartments and a large public plaza. That brings the total number of spots up to 600 for the entire development. According to a report in Plan Philly, these spaces will be below-grade and will not be visible to the public. Funding for this enormous project, which is expected to be completed in multiple phases, is now currently being sought.
Oddly enough, room for the new spaces is being credited to FEMA regulations, which require the residential and retail units to be above the floodplain.
Most of the parking is wrapped in retail space. The new spaces are partially below grade. FEMA requires the retail/residential portions of the building to be raised above the floodplain, Alesker [of the project's architecture firm Alesker & Dundon] explained. That created six feet of wasted space. Five more feet of digging made room for the 96 additional spaces.
As it stands, the project goes before the Zoning Board on July 23rd due to the addition of above-grade parking and there is no timeline beyond that date. The Central Delaware Advocacy Group (CDAG) has thrown their support behind the plans and only requested that developers Waterfront Renaissance Associates put their plans for open public space in writing. Finally, a parking situation that doesn't have everyone up in arms!
· More parking - none of it visible - for Renaissance Plaza [Plan Philly]
· New Plans for Delaware Riverfront Megadevelopment: Now With Squatter Towers! [Curbed Philly]