The Piazza in Philadelphia

The Piazza at Schmidts in Philadelphia is redefining what it means to provide usable outdoor space in a mixed-use development. Located in the historic Northern Liberties neighborhood, the Piazza is a redevelopment of a 3-acre site once home to Schmidt’s Brewery. Completed in 2009 by Philadelphia-based Tower Investments, Inc., the development incorporates mixed-use buildings that surround a large open-air plaza.
The plaza boasts an 800 square-foot stage and a high-definition, 400+ square-foot HD LED screen, making it the home to festivals, concerts, dance performances and broadcasts of sporting events year round. Surrounding the plaza are four mixed-use buildings, three new construction and one adaptive reuse factory, that include a total of 414 residential units and 100,000 square feet of commercial space. The new buildings have won multiple American Institute of Architects (AIA) awards for their modern design.

The best part of the Piazza, though, is that it is a part of a larger mixed-use revitalization initiative of the Northern Liberties neighborhood. Bart Blastein, founder and president of Tower Investments, Inc., is taking a leading role in the efforts. “My dream was to create a ‘five minute neighborhood’ where people live, shop, eat, work and play all within a few city blocks,” said Blastein. “With all forms of public transit nearby, residents will have everything they need at their fingertips enabling them to decrease their carbon footprints by never having to use a car.“