The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton (Philadelphia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton |
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The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton in 2009.
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Residential |
| Location | 1414 South Penn Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°57′5″N 75°9′53″W / 39.95139°N 75.16472°W |
| Construction started | 2006 |
| Opening | 2009 |
| Cost | US$285 million |
| Owner | AGC Partners, LC and Gencom Group |
| Height | |
| Roof | 518 feet (158 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 48 |
| Floor area | 617,665 sq ft (57,383.0 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Handel Architects |
| Developer | Arden Group |
| Main contractor | L. F. Driscoll Company |
The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton is a very fancy residential skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It stands 518 feet (158 m) tall. This makes the 48-story building the twelfth-tallest in Philadelphia. It is also the tallest building in the city where people live.
The building was built where another building, One Meridian Plaza, used to be. That building was badly damaged by a fire in 1991. One Meridian Plaza was taken down in 1999. The land was then sold to a company called Arden Group. This company also owns the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia hotel nearby. Building the new tower was delayed for years because of disagreements with another developer. But finally, construction began on May 2, 2006. The blue glass skyscraper opened in January 2009. The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton has 270 condominiums and penthouses. These homes can cost from US$550,000 to US$14 million. The building also has an underground parking garage, a fitness center, a pool, and a private garden. There is also a public park called Girard Park.
Building History
The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton stands on the land where the 38-story One Meridian Plaza once stood. In February 1991, One Meridian Plaza was badly damaged by a fire. The building was empty for eight years after the fire. It was finally taken down in 1999.
In 2000, the Arden Group bought the land for over US$13 million. The Arden Group had already bought the Two Mellon Plaza building in 1993. This building was also damaged by the fire. It was turned into a Ritz-Carlton hotel in 2000. Next to the land for the Residences was another property at 1441 Chestnut Street. This land was bought by Mariner Commercial Properties. It had several small shops and a tall building called the Morris Building. These were also damaged by the fire and were taken down in 2000. The land for the Residences faces Philadelphia City Hall across the street. While waiting to build, Arden Group turned the land into an underground parking garage.
Building Disputes
Two companies, Arden Group and Mariner Commercial Properties, both wanted to build tall residential towers. This led to disagreements between the two companies. In 2003, Mariner received permission to build a 50-story tower at 1441 Chestnut Street. Craig Spencer, from Arden Group, tried to stop this. He said the building was too tall. He worried it would block views and cast shadows on his property. Spencer even filed a lawsuit to stop the building. A court agreed that the city board made a mistake in approving Mariner's plan.
In 2004, Spencer and Mahoney (from Mariner) said their disagreements were over. Spencer announced that Arden would build a 740 feet (230 m), 57-story tower. This new tower, The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, would be much taller than the one Spencer had complained about earlier. But the disagreements quickly started again. Mahoney criticized the design of the lower floors of The Residences. He said they were too bulky. This would lower the value of homes in his building. Both buildings were redesigned several times to fix these issues. The disagreements continued in courts and city offices. The chairman of the zoning board called it the "Super Bowl of zoning battles."
In July 2005, Spencer announced a new design for The Residences. The building would be smaller, going from 57 floors to 44 floors. This change helped avoid more legal problems. In March 2009, Mahoney and Spencer finally reached an agreement. The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton ended up being 48 stories tall. It was far enough from Mahoney's 1441 Chestnut Street building. This allowed both buildings to have good views.
Construction Timeline
Construction started on May 2, 2006. The ceremony included Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. By September 2006, one-third of the homes in the building were already sold. The building reached its full height in July 2008. It opened for people to move in on January 13, 2009. The skyscraper was officially opened with a ceremony on June 8, 2009.
Building Features
The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton is a 48-story residential skyscraper. It is 518 feet (158 m) tall. The building is owned by the Arden Group and its partners. It was designed by Handel Architects. This rectangular skyscraper is one of the tallest buildings in Philadelphia. It is the tallest residential tower in the city.
The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton has a blue glass curtain wall. The east side of the building is pointed. This allows for great views of Philadelphia City Hall. The building has 270 homes. These include one- to three-bedroom condominiums and penthouses. They range in size from 890 square feet (83 m2) to 2,045 square feet (190 m2). The prices for these homes are from US$550,000 to US$14 million.
The building offers many nice things for its residents. These include hotel services, a fitness club, and a 60 feet (18 m) lap pool. The lobby has a restaurant called 10 Arts. It is owned by chef Eric Ripert. He also owns a home in the building. Between The Residences and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel is Girard Park. Part of Girard Park is a private garden for residents. The other part is a public space facing the street. A memorial for three firefighters was put up on October 21, 2009. They died during the One Meridian Plaza fire. The memorial is near the building's entrance. It has the firefighters' names on plaques.
Inga Saffron, an architecture critic, said the glass skyscraper looks "shocking" next to the white marble of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. She liked the blue glass. She also liked the "angled aluminum cap" at the bottom. She felt it looked sleek and matched the building's design. However, she did not like the public part of Girard Park. She called it a "barren, virtually unusable piece of concrete."
See also
In Spanish: The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton (Filadelfia) para niños
