ULI Global Awards for Excellence: 1800 Arch Street (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Type: Mixed use
Uses: Office, hotel, restaurants, retail
Developers: Liberty Property Trust/Liberty Property 18th & Arch; Comcast Corporation
Designers: Foster + Partners; Kendall/Heaton Associates
Site size: 1.4 acres (0.57 ha)
Date acquired: June 2014
Date started: July 2014
Date opened: July 2018

Land uses:

• Buildings: 1,845,909 square feet (171,491 sq m)
  Parking: 62 spaces (structured parking)
  Open space: 41,400 square feet (3,846 sq m) interior public space

Located in the heart of Center City in Philadelphia, 1800 Arch Street is a $1.5 billion, 60-story mixed-use tower that is the largest private development project in the history of Pennsylvania. An expansive lobby serves as an indoor public plaza, welcoming visitors with art installations, restaurants, a coffee bar, and outdoor seating. The lobby also provides access to a new, underground concourse, lined with shops and art, connecting commuters and visitors to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s Suburban Station.

The building is home to Comcast Corporation’s new vertical urban campus, which takes up all of the tower’s office space. The tower’s facades are animated by panoramic glass lifts and a series of 13 three-story sky gardens, which draw a continuous strand of greenery through the building. The building also features the country’s tallest hotel, whose lobby offers dramatic views from the 60th floor.

The 1800 Arch Street project uses a chilled beam system to cool the interior and is one of the largest such installations in the United States. The building is aiming for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification for both Core and Shell and Commercial Interiors. The owner also voluntarily committed to achieving meaningful participation by minority-, women-, veteran-, and disabled-owned businesses in the economic activity generated by the building.

The project has generated more than 20,000 temporary jobs and $2.75 billion in economic activity within the state. It is estimated that the project will also produce $30.7 million in annual state tax revenues and $21.5 million in annual city tax revenues.

This article is one of 11 highlighting this year’s winners of the ULI Global Awards for Excellence.