The announcement that Comcast plans to build a 59-story skyscraper in Center City could be heard across the country Wednesday, but perhaps nowhere more loudly than six miles away at the NBC10/Telemundo 62 studios.

"It’s a gamechanger," said Eric Lerner, president and general manager of the station.

"I’m ready to move right now. Let’s go."

NBC10 and Noticiero Telemundo 62 will eventually relocate to the Comcast Innovation and Technology Center at 1800 Arch St. from the local station’s current location at 10 Monument Road, Bala Cynwyd.

NEW STUDIO

Tentative plans suggest at least three control rooms and three studios, along with the station’s sales department and administrative staff, will occupy the 6th, 7th, and 8th floors of the 1.5 million-square-foot building, Lerner said.

Details are still being worked out, but the offices will be designed in the open-floor plan style architect Lord Norman Foster presented.

"I’m going to be in the thick of the action," said Lerner, who currently works out of a corner office located on a different floor from the editorial staff. “I’m going to be much closer to news and sales."

News Director Anzio Williams also welcomes the change.

"We have always seen ourselves as innovators and on the cutting edge of broadcast journalism," Williams said. "It fits in perfectly."

The new facilities will be move-in ready by the end of 2017, about three and a half years after a planned summer 2014 groundbreaking, according to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts.

Two of the Philadelphia market’s four other stations upgraded their offices in the last ten years. CBS3 began broadcasting from 1500 Spring Garden St. in 2007 and 6ABC started operating out of a brand-new facility at 4100 City Ave. in 2009. FOX29 operates from 330 Market St.

Like many in the area, the local broadcast’s staff speculated on whether the station would move since talk of a possible tower began increasing in fall 2013. But few outside of leadership roles were privy to Comcast’s highly confidential plans before Wednesday.

Some expressed excitement about the new digs, including NBC10's Keith Jones, who tweeted "New Tallest Bldg in #Philly --New NBC10 Studios in Center City announced!" and Tim Furlong, who tweeted "nbc10 getting a new crib!"

But it is likely some concerns will arise given the staff is comprised of 230 employees who travel from across southeastern Pennsylvania, south Jersey and northern Delaware to man the 24-hour station.

Aside from possible commuting issues, employees living outside of city limits may wonder how city-wage tax will affect their paychecks.

"I think people will be naturally nervous," said Williams, who likened it to the worries anyone would have while moving.

"We have three-and-a-half years to look at these issues," Lerner said. "We hope to resolve them so when it is the fourth quarter of 2017 and we’re moving to Center City, they’re not issues."

An underground concourse will connect the Innovation and Technology Center to Suburban Station, increasing access to public transit for staff.

Lerner says he plans to take SEPTA, although he acknowledges there may be some days when he will need to travel by car to attend meetings or functions away from the office.

THE NEWSCAST

Crews heading out to cover breaking news will face other challenges, as the downtown location changes how they will access the area’s major roadways.
"We have unique challenges right now leaving Bala Cynwyd going to Center City," Williams said. "So I think we will have those same unique challenges just going the opposite way.”

Lerner added the central location gives the station "a competitive advantage when we cover City Hall and when we need to get the Mayor."

Both Lerner and Williams agreed that the difference in proximity to I-76 will not affect broadcast content and the station will continue to produce top-quality journalism that covers the Delaware Valley.

HISTORIC STATION

The station at 10 Monument Road is an icon in its own right. The 100,000-square-foot building was constructed specifically for broadcasting in 1952 – a first in the country.

"Most likely we will sell it," Lerner said. "I don’t know of any uses that either our division or Comcast has for this property."

Real estate experts say it is unlikely another production company would acquire the property, but it is poised to attract buyers.

"There are very few sites as big as NBC10," said David Binswanger, president of Philadelphia-based real estate firm Binswanger Management Corp.

Most commercial properties within the City Ave District are multi-tenant, making the Bala Cynwyd property a unique opportunity for full development once the station vacates the building, he said.

The current zoning on the property means a developer could build as high as 200 feet, or about 9-stories, depending on the project, according to Lower Merion Township records.

The building is part of the townships historic inventory, meaning any developer planning to demolish or renovate the exterior of the structure will need plans reviewed and recommended by the Lower Merion Historic Commission, according to Michael Wylie, zoning officer.

But that won’t deter buyers, said Spencer Yablon, vice president in the Philadelphia office of Calabasas, Calif.-based Marcus & Millichap.

"Lower Merion is not looking to have that sit vacant," said Yablon, who suspects a new office building would go up at the site.

"It is close to 76…It is a good location in terms of visibility and prestige. It is tough to find ground out there," said Yablon, who added the vacancy in Bala Cynwyd is 100 basis points lower than the rest of the suburbs.

Binswanger agrees that office space is a viable option, citing employers’ desire to avoid city-wage taxes.

"Retailers are less concerned about that," he said. "Because of the number of employees that actually occupy the building, it is less of an issue."

Although a mixed-use property, which includes an office tenant, is also a possibility, Binswanger added.

An overlay district encourages the creation of a mixed-use environment along City Avenue, he said.

No final decision on selling the property has been made, Lerner said.

Either way, NBC10 is trading one of the area’s marquee buildings for another.

Contact Alison Burdo at 610.668.5635, Alison.Burdo@nbcuni.com, or @NewsBurd on Twitter

A major Center City street was closed today after utility crews possibly set off an underground transformer.

Spruce Street was closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic between 17th and 19 Streets around noon. The section of Spruce Street is just south of posh Rittenhouse Square.

Police were diverted traffic around the area as PECO crews worked to fix the problem.

Philadelphia Police Captain Joe Sullivan tweeted about what led to the closure:

@PhillyPolice #9th Dist PFD rerouting traffic 17th/19th Walnut/Spruce PECO work triggered underground transformers to pop. @DirectorPhilaEM

— Joe Sullivan (@PPDJoeSullivan) January 17, 2014

There were reports of explosion-like sounds but Philadelphia firefighters couldn't confirm anything.

As SkyForce10 hovered overhead, you could see a missing manhole cover surrounded by police tape and more police tape blocking off connecting roads.

There were no reports of injuries and no reports of power outages in the area.

A piece of Hollywood history right in our own backyard came down this morning.

More than two decades after it was featured in Dead Poets Society, the marquee in front of the Everett Theatre along Main Street in Middletown, Del. was removed Friday.

The Everett and the neon marquee were featured prominently during the scene of the movie where a performance of A Midsummer’s Night Dream is presented.

The piece of film history was in place for 92 years. Friday morning workers took it down because it was rusted and broken beyond repair.

But the old sing isn’t headed to the dump. The theater is thinking about possibly donating it to the town historical society.

And a new sing will take the old sign’s place.

“The new one is going to be exactly the same as the old one, we are following the same blueprints and it'll be beautiful -- it'll be just like it was back in the late 20s,” said Rob Stout from the Everett Theatre board of directors.

Once the side of the building is cleaned up, the new marquee will be put up -- ready in time for the theater's big gala to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of "Dead Poet's Society."

The 1989 movie, which won the Oscar for Best Screenplay while being nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Peter Weir) and Best Actor (Robin Williams) not only featured the Everett but many other area landmarks including St. Andrew’s School and Wolf Cave, according to IMDB.com.

The movie also featured hundreds of Delaware high schoolers as extras.

A Chester County man allegedly followed a woman for 21 miles, intentionally rammed into her car and proposed group sex before the victim was able to elude him.

Police charged 25-year-old Scott Andrew Rosenberg of Nutt Road in Phoenixville with stalking and harassment following the January 3 incident.

The investigation proved complicated as the suspect was driving a silver sedan registered to his identical twin brother, according to police.

The victim told authorities she stopped at the Wawa at 2 E. Rhodes Ave. in West Goshen Township on her way to work when she noticed another vehicle entered the convenience store's parking lot closely behind her.

As the two entered the store, the suspect apologized to the victim for his driving and struck up a casual conversation about the weather, according to police.

Officials say Rosenberg continued to say he was sorry and, when she approached the register to make her purchase, insisted on paying.

Both the victim and the suspect headed to their vehicles outside, where Rosenberg repeatedly asked her for her phone number, according to officers.

Investigators say she declined, telling him she was married, but that didn't deter Rosenberg.

He suggested various sexual relationships while blocking the driver side door from closing as she sat in her car, authorities say.

Officers say Rosenberg continued to elaborate about his sexual endeavors and offered his phone number since she refused to provide her own.

The victim, who was becoming increasingly alarmed, accepted in hopes that it would end the incident, police say. 

At that point, she left the parking lot and began driving north on Route 202, which was covered in snow due to the recent inclement weather.

Again she noticed the suspect's sedan traveling behind her as she approached the intersection of Route 202 and Route 422, so she changed course and headed to another Wawa, according to officials.

The victim told police as she waited in the turning lane at the intersection of South Trooper Road and the Boulevard of the Generals in Norristown, his vehicle came to a complete stop behind her.

Rosenberg then purposely rear-ended her car, causing the victim to fear for her life, according to authorities.

Police say she parked directly in front of the Wawa on Trooper Road and watched as Rosenberg parked and went inside.

The victim seized the opportunity to flee, driving past the suspect's vehicle to collect his license plate number on her way.

Initially Rosenberg denied he was at either Wawa.

He eventually admitted to investigators he spoke to the victim at the East Rhodes Avenue store, but refused to say he committed any of her other allegations.

Video surveillance from both Wawas puts Rosenberg at the scene of the crime, according to police.

Authorities are asking for anyone with knowledge of similar incidents to contact the West Goshen Township Police.

A shooting inside a Philadelphia high school has left two students shot, and police are still searching for the person responsible.

"Two kids, a male and a female, both shot in the arm" is the call that went out over police radio minutes after the shooting on Friday afternoon.

The shooting happened just before 3:30 p.m. at the Delaware Valley Charter School at 5201 Old York Road in the Olney section of the city, Philadelphia Police say.

"A school is supposed to be a safe environment. Are you kidding me? Two kids just got shot," shouted Frank Thorne, whose daughter was inside the school at the time of the shooting. "How was a child, or whoever, [able to] bring a gun up in the school?"

A teen boy, who attends the school, pulled out a handgun inside the school's gymnasium and then the weapon fired. Police say they are still searching for him and it's currently unclear if the shooting was intentional or accidental.

A boy and a girl, both 15 years old, were injured in the shooting, which took place near the gymnasium, police said. The boy was hit in the arm and the girl appears to have been grazed by the same bullet, police tell NBC10.

Both victims were rushed to Albert Einstein Medical Center, which is just a block north of the high school.

The girl was discharged from the hospital around 6 p.m., but the boy remains hospitalized.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey says there were seven students inside the gym when the shooting happened and that the entire incident was caught on surveillance video.

• Guns in Charter Schools Challenge Perception of Safety

THE SUSPECTS

At the height of the investigation immediately following the shooting, Philadelphia Police used surveillance video to identify alleged suspects. However, after questioning at least one teen who was taken into custody, police say the shooter remains at large.

Police descended on the home of a 15-year-old student from South Philadelphia and brought him in for questioning. Officials said they thought he was either the shooter or was with the shooter.

But hours later, that teen was released and, police say, will not be charged.

Family members of the teen, angry over his implication, told NBC10 he was a "straight A student." That same family member, an uncle who wished to remain anonymous, said his nephew's involvement in the shooting must be some kind of mistake.

A 16-year-old boy is also being questioned at Philadelphia Police's Northwest Detective Division. Investigators say they are considering him a co-conspirator, but do not believe he is the shooter.

Investigators are waiting for another teen, police are calling a suspect, to turn himself in. Police say that teen's family are contacting a lawyer.

"It's just like any other investigation, now we're able to talk with the people that were shot, the victims, able to talk with some of the kids that may have seen what took place," Ramsey said.

SEPTA Police searched trash cans and station concourses to see if the gun used was dumped. So far, those searches have been futile.

THE SCHOOL & SHOOTING RESPONSE

Delaware Valley Charter School is one of 87 charter schools in Philadelphia. Charter schools are independent of the School District of Philadelphia. The school serves more than 600 students in grades 9 through 12.

The school was placed on lockdown following the shooting and was quickly secured.

"We had good response and were able to lock this down very, very quickly and get information very quickly as to who the suspect was and be able to locate that person very quickly and so this one worked out for us," Ramsey said.

Officials say students were searched and then released on a one-by-one basis. The school was completely cleared at 5:30 p.m.

Parents told NBC10 reporters on the scene that there have been several fights at the school recently and that they had concerns about safety.

Police say the school does have security. The building is also equipped with metal detectors, so investigators are trying to figure out how the student was able to get the gun into the school.

"They go through metal detectors. You have to go through everything to get into the school even as a parent," said Gina, who did not want to share her last name. "I have to go through metal detectors."

"Clearly a breech of security of some kind," said Ramsey. "Don't know exactly how it happened, but kids shouldn't be able to get a gun in school."

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

As tens of thousands of people across the country are remembering the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Monday, one local school performed a reenactment of the civil rights leader's nonviolent activism.

Students in kindegarten through fourth grade at the Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School in the Elmwood section of Philadelphia marched with civil rights signs and conducted a sit-in Friday. 

Children in grades five through eight marched while singing "We Shall Overcome."

After recreating the events, all the school children gathered to watch a local actor give a performance as Dr. King.

The Southwest Leadership Academy's activities are just one of many events happening throughout the area to honor MLK.

More than 100 singers, dancers and musicians took the stage to commemorate the activist's birth at the 12th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Friday at the Kimmel Center.

On the holiday Monday, volunteers throughout the Philadelphia region will take part in the Martin Luther King Day of Service. There are over 1,600 projects being coordinated in our area.

Guns in two different charter schools in Philadelphia in one week challenge the notion that the independently-funded institutions are less dangerous than the city's public schools.

"They've traditionally been seen as a 'safer' alternative to Philly public schools," said Helen Gym, co-founder of Parents United for Public Education. "There are perceptions of difference, but I don't know that they bear themselves out in the schools."

Two students were rushed to Albert Einstein Medical Center this afternoon following a shooting at the Delaware Valley Charter School at 5201 Old York Road in the city's Olney neighborhood.

• WATCH: School Safety Procedures Lockdown

Police believe at least two and possibly three teens may be involved in the shooting.

"We will go through obviously an investigation," said Mayor Michael Nutter. "Try to piece together what happened, how did it happen, how was the weapon in the school in the first place."

Earlier this week, a teenage boy brought a gun to the Knowledge is Power Program's DuBois Collegiate Academy (KIPP) at 5070 Parkside Ave. in the Parkside section of Philadelphia. 

Other students at KIPP alerted school officials that their classmate had a gun in his bookbag. Police were notified and took the teen into custody.

"The prospect of a weapon in a school environment... is obviously dangerous," Nutter said. "Any injury to any student on school property, off school property, to any citizen, is of great concern."

A third incident near Samuel Fels High School -- a public school -- at 5500 Langdon St. in the Summerdale neighborhood left a Philadelphia Police officer and a school district officer injured.

A fight between a large group of students waiting at a bus stop at Summerdale and Sanger streets broke out around 3 p.m. Thursday. Several teens were taken into custody in relation to the brawl.

Gym says safety is a top concern for every parent and that schools need to be viewed as more than just a holding pen for kids.

"People just need to care a whole lot about what happens within those walls to make those places truly safe," she said.

The DuBois Collegiate Academy, where the gun made it into the school building, does not have a security force or metal detectors. School officials rely on students to come forward with any suspicions as part of their "No Gun" policy.

Delaware Valley has metal detectors and it is unclear how someone could have brought a weapon into the gymnasium. 

A driver has been critically hurt after their car was crushed by a SEPTA regional rail train.

The SEPTA Warminster Line train collided with the car around 9 p.m. at Byberry and Warminster Roads in Hatboro, Pa., Montgomery County emergency dispatch says.

The collision happened at a railroad crossing and the car was pushed about 40 feet down the track.

The impact mangled the car and trapped the person inside for 20 minutes, officials said.

Fire crews were forced to cut the roof from the car to remove the driver. They were quickly rushed to Abington Memorial Trauma Center in extremely critical condition, officials said.

There were 60-75 passengers on the outbound train, which was heading towards the Warminster station, and no one reported any injuries, a SEPTA spokeswoman said.

The Warminster line was suspended between the Warminster and Willow Grove stations. Shuttle buses were being provided between the two stations.

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

The son of a Philadelphia Police officer has been murdered in a shooting in Southwest Philadelphia.

The 19-year-old was shot in the chest at 62nd Street and Gray's Avenue just before 6 p.m. on Friday, police say.

He was rushed to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Homicide detectives tell NBC10 the victim, whose name has not been released, is the son of an officer.

Police are working to figure out who shot the teen.

Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man in the Parkside section of the city.

Officials say the man was on the 4200 block of Parkside Avenue around 10:30 p.m. on Friday when an unidentified gunman opened fire.

The man was killed in the shooting. Police have not yet revealed his identity.

Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.

Also on NBC10.com:

• 2 Shot Inside HS, Teen Expected to Turn Himself In
• Officer's Son Murdered in Shooting
• Former Officers Sentenced in Teen's Shooting Death
   

A man is fighting for his life after officials say he fell out of a building in Norristown.

Investigators say the unidentified man was inside a building on the 400 block of Arch Street when he fell about three stories.

He was flown to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The man is currently in critical condition.

Investigators have not yet determined whether he fell out of a window or off a balcony.

Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.

Also on NBC10.com:

• Funeral for Teen Struck by Car
• Teacher Hurt in Accident at School
• Train Crushes Car After Collision, Trapping Driver Inside
   

A local college athlete's family laid him to rest Saturday morning.

Dante Desimone was struck an killed on January 12 as he walked with friends along the 500 block of W Baltimore Pike in Clifton Heights, Pa.

A public viewing was held for Desimone Friday night from 5 to 9. Another viewing was held today from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. at D'Anjolell Memorial Home on West Chester Pike in Broomall, Pa. A funeral mass then took place at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Cross Church in Springfield, Pa. followed by a burial at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery on Sproul Road in Springfield, Pa.

An autopsy by the Delaware County Medical Examiner's Office determined that the 18-year-old died from blunt force trauma to his head. Desimone's death was ruled accidental.

The Upper Darby High School grad and two friends were walking on the sidewalk when the car went onto the sidewalk after being struck by another car.

Following the wreck, Desimone was rushed to Mercy-Fitzgerald Hospital where Desimone died. His friend Tim Robison, who also has ties to Upper Darby High, was left in serious condition at the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. Family members say a third friend with the teens wasn't hurt.

The drivers of both cars stopped following the crash and were cooperating with the investigation. DUI wasn't suspected.

Desimone was a graduate of Upper Darby High School where he played lacrosse and hockey and began attending nearby Neumann University this past fall studying sports entertainment and playing lacrosse.

Ralph Desimone told NBC10 that his family was devastated by his son's death. He said his son overcame a bone disorder that required surgeries to become a college athlete.

The Desimones took part in a candlelight vigil last Monday near the scene of the deadly crash.

"He was a good boy," said his mother while in tears. "He didn't deserve this."

As police continue to investigate a school shooting that sent two students to the hospital, the family of the teen initially accused in the incident is now breathing a collective sigh of relief.

A shooting occurred Friday shortly before 3:30 p.m. at the Delaware Valley Charter High School at 5201 Old York Road in the Olney section of the city. Police say a teen boy, who attends the school, pulled out a handgun inside the school’s gymnasium and then the weapon fired, striking an 18-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy.

The girl was taken to the hospital and eventually discharged while the boy remains in stable condition.

Police say there were seven students inside the gym when the shooting took place and that the entire incident was caught on surveillance video, which officials used to identify alleged suspects.

According to police, school security officials provided information which led them to the home of a 15-year-old boy in South Philadelphia.

“My phone started ringing,” said the boy’s aunt. “My sister’s home was surrounded by cops and helicopters.”

The boy's aunt claims her nephew was actually on his way home at the time of the shooting before he was confronted by police.

“He came home from school like he does every day and when he got to his front door, this is what happened to him,” she said. “You don’t bum rush a 15-year-old or hold him down like he’s already a criminal!”

Police say they later learned however that the information provided by the school security officials concerning the boy was inaccurate. They determined the teen was not involved in the shooting and they released him. He will not be charged.

The Delaware Valley Charter High School released a statement thanking parents for their support and ensuring they are working to address and maintain school safety. The statement did not comment on the police's allegations that inaccurate information was provided by school security officials.

“They originally said he was on video and he was the shooter,” said another family member. “Come to find out he’s not on video."

Police eventually took another teen into custody for questioning while another turned himself in on Saturday. Meanwhile, the wrongly accused boy’s family says they feel vindicated in their belief that the teen is a promising young man with a bright future.

“He’s going to college,” The boy's aunt said. “He don’t get into no drama! He might have a little attitude but he’s just like every other teenager out here."