Finally! Scaffolding going up at #DivineLorraine and work starting on high-end condos, says man in hard hat @HiddenCityPhila @CurbedPhilly
— Sophie Reid (@SophieReidUSA) June 2, 2014
Is it possible that something is finally happening with the Divine Lorraine on North Broad Street, and could it become a hotel once again? According to Christopher Cordaro, Executive Director of EB Realty Management Corporation, the answer to both of our questions is yes. "We are moving forward with the Divine Lorraine in a very positive way," said Cordaro in an email. "The scaffolding you see is for sidewalk protection erected by Safway. We are almost finished graffiti removal performed by Jenkintown Building Services. They will also be helping us remove graffiti on the Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House just up the street. We are are still currently underwritten for residential and retail but would love for the project to become a hotel, and are actively perusing this model change." Built between 1892 and 1894 by Willis G. Hale and purchased by Eric Blumenfeld's EB Realty Management Corporation in 2012, the most recent plans for the former hotel calls for 126 apartments and 21,000 square feet of retail space.
#graffiti removal underway @EBRMCorp #divinelorrainehotel #philadelphia pic.twitter.com/wCvAsJMjwQ
— EBRM Corp. (@EBRMCorp) May 22, 2014
Back in early May, the news broke that Procida Funding and Advisors had jump-started the project with a $31.5 million loan. More recently, posts to Twitter and Instagram via EB Realty Management's official accounts, reveal that work on the hotel has started to take place in earnest — at least on the exterior of the building. Will the Divine Lorraine rise again as a hotel on North Broad or will the current plan for a mix of residential and retail stay in place? Either way, it's good to see something starting to happen at this iconic Philadelphia landmark.·New hope - and funding - for Divine Lorraine [Philly.com]
·Donald Trump's Biggest Fan to Save the Divine Lorraine [Curbed Philly]
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