Comcast HQ to be city's tallest

University of Pennsylvania students and other Philadelphia residents will soon be able to watch the construction of a new office building on the city skyline.

In approximately two weeks, construction will begin on the Comcast Center, an office building developed by the Comcast Corporation and Liberty Property Trust.

When completed, the Comcast Center will be the tallest building in Philadelphia, rising 57 stories and totalling 975 feet in height.

Similarly to the Cira Centre currently being constructed next to 30th St. Station, the new glass-clad Comcast Center is being built near a major transportation hub. This new office building will be constructed over Suburban Station at 17th Street and JFK Boulevard and will include a new entrance for the train station.

Many city officials, such as Daniel Fee, spokesman for Mayor John Street, believe that this new building will become a major landmark of Philadelphia as well as a symbol of the energy and optimism of the city.

"Cities are defined by their skyline, they represent who we are and what we want to be," Wharton Professor Georgette Chapman Poindexter said.

The construction of a new office building is necessary for Comcast because of the hundreds of new jobs that the company will be creating in the Philadelphia area. Comcast, which currently has 1,300 employees, is leasing enough space for 1,900 employees and retains the option to lease the space for approximately 2,000 more employees in the new building.

However, according to Larry Ceisler, a spokesman for Center City building owners, many current landowners are not happy with the creation of new office space fearing that it will increase office vacancy rates and further push down rental rates.

But Comcast officials say the building also helps solidify Comcast's relationship with Philadelphia.

"Philadelphia's unique identity is a part of our corporate identity," said Tim Fitzpatrick, spokesman for Comcast. He also said the building is a reflection of Comcast's commitment Philadelphia and Pennsylvania over the last 40 years.

After months of public debate, the state of Pennsylvania rejected Comcast and Liberty's request for the site to be declared a Keystone Opportunity Zone.

Ceisler, whose group worked against the awarding of KOZ status, said, "They didn't get the tax break so our side won that. The parameters for the KOZ that Comcast applied for is supposed to be for blighted areas but we didn't believe that an area two blocks from city hall is oppressed. We didn't oppose the tax breaks, we just opposed the location."

However, the state is still providing aid worth approximately $40 million to assist the construction of the the $435 million building. According to Fee, the city is not making any financial contribution to the project; however, they have strongly supported the project and have continuously worked towards helping the two sides come together.

Poindexter said that while she is not aware of all the specific details of this deal, it is not uncommon for public money to go towards the building of a public space to induce development.

The state is providing this financial aid to Comcast in part because of the creation of local jobs and eventual tax revenue in addition to the building's landmark status.

Fee said that the Comcast Center is a tremendous opportunity for Philadelphia. He said that Comcast is one of the largest, strongest companies in the country, and that this project keeps them in Philadelphia as well as encouraging other companies to relocate to or stay in the city.

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