Board Finally Approves Blatstein’s Broad & Washington Project, Litigation Still Pending

The west elevation of the revised Blatstein mixed-use project. Rendering | Cope Linder Architects

The Zoning Board of Adjustment voted 5-0 to approve developer Bart Blatstein’s proposed apartment tower and rooftop retail village at Broad & Washington in South Philly on Tuesday morning, according to Ron Patterson, Blatstein’s attorney.

The board had previously voted to grant exceptions for the project, then vacated its vote. On Monday, a lawyer for the property’s current owner, N/H Philadelphia Properties, asked the board to delay its vote again, saying Blatstein didn’t have the right to pursue zoning approvals for the property because an agreement of sale had expired.

A Court of Common Pleas judge heard arguments in that ownership dispute Tuesday morning. Patterson said there was no indication of when the judge would issue a ruling. “The parties, however, continue to have an open dialogue,” he said.

Blatstein sounded confident in a statement sent through a press spokesman.

“I want to personally thank Zoning Board Chair Jim Moylan and his fellow board members for their professionalism, independence and integrity,” Blatstein said. “Approving our application was the right thing to do. We look forward to building a magnificent mixed-use development that will create a stunning gateway into Center City.”