Comcast to build second, taller Philly skyscraper
Comcast Corp. already built the tallest skyscraper in Philadelphia. On Wednesday, it announced plans to build an even taller one.
The Philadelphia-based media giant said it plans to build a $1.2 billion, 59-story technology center that will rise 1,121 feet (342 meters) next to the existing Comcast Center, which stands 975 feet (297 meters) tall and opened in June 2008.
Comcast Corp. and real estate investment trust Liberty Property Trust said the Norman Foster-designed glass and stainless steel tower would become the "dedicated home" for its expanding workforce of "technologists, engineers, and software architects." It will also boast a media center in the heart of downtown Philadelphia that will be home to the region's NBC affiliate, WCAU-TV, and Telemundo's WWSI-TV.
Comcast Corp. is the largest global media and technology company and owns NBC Universal.
The two companies say the project is a joint venture between them with Comcast holding 80 percent and Liberty 20 percent. Construction is set to start this summer with completion by fall 2017.
Though it will be the tallest building in Philadelphia, the new tower would be the 34th tallest building worldwide when complete.
The tallest building in the U.S. is the Willis Tower in Chicago, which stands 1,451 feet (442 meters). The world's tallest building is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai at 2,717 feet (828 meters).
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