Observation deck for One Liberty Place?

Plans are afoot to create an interior observation deck on one of the top floors of One Liberty Place.

The skyscraper at 16th and Market streets is the second tallest in Center City and the observation deck would reportedly occupy the 57th floor, according to people familiar with the situation. It would have its own dedicated elevator as well as a small cafe to dine in or hold events, they say.

The views would be pretty spectacular considering the building’s location and height. If anyone has dined at R2L2 at Two Liberty Place, they have somewhat of an idea of the type of views that can be seen from the 37th floor of that building.

One Liberty stands 61 stories and totals 1.2 million square feet.

The company that would operate the observation deck at One Liberty is Montparnasse 56 Group, a Paris-based company that has a division based in New York called Montparnasse 56 USA. The company runs an observation deck on the 56th floor of Montparnasse Tower in Paris, and, in 2012, bought the observation tower at the John Hancock building Chicago for between $35 million and $45 million.

Terms of Montparnasse’s arrangement at One Liberty couldn’t be determined and a company official declined comment.

The proposal wouldn’t need any approvals from Philadelphia planners since it would operate as a typical commercial tenant, such as a restaurant or a company’s offices, said Gary Jastrzab, executive director of the Philadelphia Planning Commission.

The One Liberty deck would have no exterior access like Rockefeller Plaza in New York. When it might open couldn’t be determined.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal