Renovation Planned for Two Blighted Eyesores in Old City

Photo via Google Street View.

A ray of hope from Hidden City’s Ryan Briggs today: The buildings at 223 and 225 Chestnut, two sister structures that have been slowly falling apart for the last few years, are to be redeveloped by its newest owners:

“We hope the reconstruction work will begin later this year. There are still some plans, permits and approvals to be secured,” said [Ross] Goldberg. “There are two tenants. The First Church of Christ Scientist will be occupying the first floor and an office tenant on floors two through four.”

Goldberg is the president of Posel Managment, the firm that purchased the site from the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation who acquired the property in 2013 after years of “attempting to seize the buildings through sheriff sale.”

According to Briggs, Goldberg says Posel has been “working with the city’s Historical Commission” to ensure the buildings’ architectural features are “respected.” However, as a result of poor maintenance, the removal and replacement of wrought iron portions on the structure’s facade will be necessary–and are changes that have already been approved by the Commission.

A proposal to redevelop the site, which had once been the American Indian Cultural Center, into a spa complex was never realized after the developer who proposed the project defaulted on a loan.

Long Blighted, The Former Native American Museum On Chestnut Street To Be Redeveloped [Hidden City]