Fences and barricades have gone up around five properties on Jewelers Row that may be demolished to make way for a residential tower developed by Toll Brothers.
Hidden City Philadelphia, which has been a strong advocate for preserving the buildings, posted a photo to Instagram yesterday of the current site. But while it may appear that the demolition is underway, readers say that the construction workers are drilling down to test the bedrock.
Although the developers pulled demolition permits earlier this summer, the plans to build a 16-story apartment building must first go through the Civic Design Review process before construction can begin. The proposal for the structure is more than 100,000 square feet, triggering the review.
In addition, the Philadelphia Historical Commission has agreed to consider nominations to add three of the properties to the historic register on October 21. However, Licenses and Inspections told the Philadelphia Inquirer that this will not delay the demolition process, as the permits were pulled before the nominations.
Meanwhile, the online petition by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia to save Jewelers Row has surpassed 6,000 signatures.
- Toll Brothers plan for retail with 16-story building on Jewelers Row [Curbed Philly]
- Jewelers Row demolition to make way for Toll Brothers building [Curbed Philly]
- Before Jewelers Row, there was Robert McMorris's foiled McMansion [Curbed Philly]