Update: Due to a forecast of rain (again), the Divine Lorraine sign-lighting block party has been moved to Wednesday, November 9. The invitation reads, “Because the sign has not been lit for 40 years, developer Eric Blumenfeld, financier Billy Procida, and the city want the perfect evening to restore the city’s skyline to the grandeur of the 1950’s.” The original date was scheduled for October 27, then pushed to November 3.
The two iconic Divine Lorraine Hotel signs that sit atop the historic building on North Broad Street will light up again on November 9.
“It should be a good time for everyone to come out, and everyone’s invited,” says Chris Cordaro, vice president of EB Realty. “It’ll be an opportunity to strengthen the community message, which is really important to us in our developments along the North Broad corridor.”
The block party event, benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region, will take place at the foot of the Divine Lorraine along Melon Street and N. Park Avenue. Expect a sort of autumn festival, with beer garden-style set-ups, corn hole games, and live music. Divine Lorraine merchandise will also be on sale.
The sign-lighting ceremony was originally scheduled for September, but was pushed back as EB Realty waited for permit approval from the city. The November event will take place about 13 months after the Divine Lorraine Hotel groundbreaking for the property’s $44 million restoration.
Speaking of, the Divine Lorraine will not be open during the event. Currently, the lobby is being restored and Cordaro says they don’t have the security capacity to allow public entry.
The November 9 event kicks off at 4 p.m.