A former manufacturing district north of Old City in Philadelphia, Northern Liberties was once considered a “post-industrial wasteland.” However, in the past 10 years, revitalization of the neighborhood has gained momentum, with a steady influx of young professionals and artists whose presence has also attracted trendy shops, art galleries, restaurants, and nightclubs. The Shockey Precast Group was proud to have the opportunity to participate in the Northern Liberties revitalization with the Northern Liberties Piazza parking structure project. The four-story, 300-car garage is designed to serve residents of the Piazza, a mixed-use residential and retail project constructed by Bart Blatstein of Tower Investments. Situated behind the historic Schmidt’s Brewery building, the property for the parking structure is owned by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of Donald Trump.
For The Shockey Precast Group, the project was a great opportunity to help breathe life into a once-tired neighborhood. Working with architect Timothy Haahs & Associates, engineer Devita & Associates, general contractor Daniel J. Keating, and precast erector Precast Services, Inc., SPG produced and erected 90,000 SF of precast double tees and structural precast components. Although the garage was a straightforward Tim Haahs & Associates design that didn’t include any unusual facades or architectural features, heavy road construction around the site did cause considerable access issues. Fortunately, the presence of an onsite drop lot meant that PSI was able to erect an above-average number of precast pieces per day for this union project. Erection of the garage was completed in less than one month. The completed garage provides much-needed parking for this vibrant neighborhood, while the clean, simple design complements the surrounding architecture.
