Inga Saffron, Architecture Critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote about her interest in and excitement for developments happening just north of the west side of Center City in her recent article, “These two new Philadelphia apartment buildings are civilizing the Vine Street Expressway.”

Writing about the neighborhood’s development, Saffron singles out the Alexander as a positive addition. Saffron notes that the craftsmanship of the Alexander sets it apart from other buildings in the city. GBCA member LF Driscoll is the general contractor for the Alexander.

Saffron also mentions other buildings going up that will positively change that neighborhood, including the Hamilton, which is being built by GBCA member Clemens Construction Company.

 

From Saffron, Philadelphia Inquirer:

The arrival of the Alexander thrusts the site, along with the micro-neighborhood around it, back into Center City. …

For anyone who remembers the site’s “before” — a vast surface parking lot — approaching the Alexander today is a revelation. The 32-story tower is clad from top to bottom in handsome buff brick (hand-laid on the lower floors). Along both 16th and Vine, the ground floor is ringed with enormous shop windows, each outlined with an elegant stone band and topped with a blue canopy. Midway down Vine Street, the shops give way to townhouse apartments, marked by stately entrance doors and granite stoops. Harsh as the surrounding environment is, the building single-handedly civilizes this corner. …

What distinguishes the Alexander is the quality of the materials and craftsmanship. Unlike developers who sell their completed projects to big apartment managers, the Mormons’ real estate division holds on to its properties. It believes in building for eternity. …

Perhaps the slew of new developments that have followed the Alexander to this former wasteland will be more ambitious. … The Hamilton on 15th Street will add 279 apartments. …

The idea that the quintessential automobile landscape could be transformed into a pedestrian-friendly park isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. Only four years ago, this area was a wasteland of surface lots. Soon, it will be home to hundreds of people. Civilization has arrived.

 

Click below to read more of Saffron’s analysis:

 

Click below to learn more about the Alexander:

 

Photo Credit: Melissa Romero for Curbed Philly