[2][3] In 2000, the Arden Group settled with One Meridian Plaza's owners, E/R Partners, agreeing to pay more than US$13 million for the site.

The north side of the One Meridian plaza site faces Philadelphia City Hall, situated across the street.

[2][9] As they sought to build competing condominium towers, the relationship between the two developers soon turned into a feud between the firm's lead partners, Craig Spencer of Arden Group and Tim Mahoney of Mariner.

In 2003, Mahoney received permission from the City Zoning Board of Adjustment to build a 50-story residential tower at the 1441 Chestnut Street site.

Spencer filed a lawsuit to block construction of the building, and a Court of Common Pleas ruled that the Zoning Board erred in approving 1441 Chestnut Street.

Spencer announced that Arden would build a 740 feet (230 m), 57-story luxury condominium tower called The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton.

The feud quickly reignited when Mahoney criticized the design of The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton's lower floors.

The feud continued with lively arguments to block each other plans in courtrooms and Philadelphia city agencies.

Afraid the high-rise would miss the city's hot condominium market, the redesign sidestepped the legal challenges because it would not need special approval by the Zoning Board to exceed a certain height.

The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton has a blue glass curtain wall and the east side of the building is pointed allowing views of Philadelphia City Hall.

Designed by the Philadelphia Fire Department, the memorial is located by the building's entrance and contains the firefighters' names on plaques.

[17][21] The Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron says the glass skyscraper is a "shocking" contrast next to the white marble of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Her negative opinions of the building included the public space of Girard Park which she describe as a "barren, virtually unusable piece of concrete".