Portal:Philadelphia/Selected article archive/1

Comcast Center is a skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia. The 58-story, 975 ft tower is the second-tallest building in Philadelphia after the Comcast Technology Center. Originally called One Pennsylvania Plaza when first announced in 2001, the Comcast Center underwent two redesigns before construction began in 2005. Designed by architect Robert A. M. Stern for Liberty Property Trust, the Comcast Center was delayed as the developers tried to get the site designated a Keystone Opportunity Improvement Zone. The designation would exempt tenants from most taxes for fifteen years as a way to encourage development in disadvantaged areas. Giving the Comcast Center the designation was supported by many state and city officials who hoped to keep corporations within Philadelphia, but was strongly opposed by other building owners who felt the building would have an unfair advantage in attracting tenants. Even though the bill was not approved in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 2004, Liberty Property Trust went forward with construction. At the beginning of 2005, the final redesign and its new name the Comcast Center was unveiled. The building is named after its lead tenant, cable company Comcast, which makes the skyscraper its corporate headquarters. Leasing 1094212 sqft, Comcast occupies 89 percent of the building. The building features retail and restaurant space and a connection to the nearby Suburban Station. In the lobby is the Comcast Experience, which is a 2000 sqft high-definition LED screen that has become a tourist attraction. Designed to be environmentally friendly, the skyscraper is the tallest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified building in the United States.