21 January 09: PROGRESS



And the good news just keeps a-coming. According to Philly Skyline sources, our calls have been answered: American Commerce Center WILL have an observation deck.

After a feasibility study involving cost effectiveness and security, Hill International Real Estate Partners (HIREP) has commissioned building architect Kohn Pederson Fox to design an observation deck on the uppermost floor of the 63 story building. In an unconventional break from standard geometric observation decks (think Empire State and 30 Rock, Sears and Hancock), ACC's viewing platform will conform to its irregular shape.

The ceiling will follow the lines of the windows, from 45' on the chamfered corner (on the 19th & Arch side) to a whopping 160' on the spired corner. Think about that: the southeast facing corner (the one that will give the birds eye views of the previous tallest buildings -- City Hall, One Liberty Place, Comcast Center) will have a one hundred sixty foot window wall through which to look down at those buildings. For some perspective, The Ayer, the art deco tower next to The St James on Washington Square, is two feet shorter than that.

Garrett Miller, president of HIREP, says, "an admission will be charged, but it will be the standard market rate." A survey of the same observation decks mentioned above looks a little something like . . .
Empire State Building = standard 86th floor deck = $20, 102nd floor is $15 more
Top of the Rock = $20
Sears Tower Skydeck = $15.45
Hancock Observatory = $15
As we well know, the only observation deck in Philadelphia is the one at City Hall. The tiny elevator only serves up to five people at a time, is only ticketed in 15 minute intervals (which, when factoring the elevator ride up and the elevator ride down, amounts to about 8 minutes viewing), and costs $5.

The Loews Hotel has a ballroom on the 33rd floor for hotel and rented functions. The Bell Atlantic Tower's Top of the Tower is private and available for functions (à la weddings). Mellon Bank Center has its private Pyramid Club. And soon, Rae will be moving from Cira Centre's ground floor to the 37th floor of Two Liberty Place. That's it for the Really High Philly Places.

American Commerce Center's observation deck will be public, with the exception of private, catered functions, for which it will be available. On the top floor of the city's new tallest building, the platform will be roughly 1,200' high, over 200' above Comcast Center across the street. (Let's hope it has those 25¢ metal viewing things so we can see the 4" Billy Penn welded to its roof.) Only Sears Tower's Skydeck, at 1,353', will be higher in the US.

Toronto's CN Tower, recently refitted with LED lights, was the world's tallest observation deck (1,465') from 1976 until last year, when it was eclipsed by Shanghai's World Financial Center (1,555'). If it opened today, ACC's would be the sixth tallest in the world. Knowing the way things are built in Dubai, we'll be lucky if ACC's is in the top 20 by the time it opens.

Nevertheless, ACC's observation deck will be unlike anything Philadelphia has ever seen. And unlike Comcast Center, One Liberty Place -- hell, anything that has trumped the Quaker hat of our Quaker founder in the past 25 years -- we'll actually get to see it.

–B Love

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