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Mapping North Broad's development boom

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It only takes a long walk along the four-mile stretch of North Broad, between City Hall and Germantown Avenue, to know that something's up. There is, of course, the Divine Lorraine Hotel covered in scaffolding, its bright red, neon lights now shining after 40 years. There's constant construction throughout Temple's campus. And then there's a whole lot of talk of this old building or that abandoned warehouse's future.

Yes, North Broad is booming, after years of neglect despite its Gilded Age history as a home for the noveau rich. Developments big and small have been announced on what seems like a weekly basis in recent years and months. So here, we've compiled all of the projects that are both under construction or still in the early planning stages.

Know of another project that's not on the map? Hit the tip line or leave a comment and we'll add it to the list!

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Aloft Hotel

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The 21-story historic Liberty Title and Trust Building just north of City Hall is being converted into an Aloft Hotel by Realen Properties and HRI Properties. It will include direct access to the Convention Center and feature 179 rooms. Its opening date is scheduled for June 27, 2017.
Rendering courtesy of Realen and HRI Properties

Broad and Spring Garden

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Parkway Corp. has plans to transform this parking lot at Broad and Spring Garden into a transit-oriented mixed-use development with two glassy office towers. It’s a $300 million undertaking between Parkway and Nightingale.
Rendering by BLT Architects

E. Hart Stable

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A historic stable on North Broad is set to turn into a mixed-use apartment building, with the anticipated opening set for spring 2018. North Broad Living Management’s adaptive reuse project 41 apartments and 5,000 square feet of ground retail to 631 N. Broad Street. Structural demolition is currently underway.
Rendering by Canno Design

Divine Lorraine Hotel

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Since breaking ground in September 2015, the restoration of the historic Divine Lorraine is well on its way to completion. The two iconic signs have been re-lit, residents began moving in on January 1, 2017—about 50 percent of the units have been leased—, and the lobby renovations and exterior restoration should finish up in about two months, according to EB Realty. The ground floor will feature two restaurants and retail, and the annex next door will be converted into another restaurant, speakeasy, and boutique hotel. 
Photo by Melissa Romero

Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House

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Developer EB Realty is behind the return of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House, just a few blocks from the Divine Lorraine. The historic theater is awaiting approval of a state grant to begin restoration of the limestone exterior, as well as the green light from the Philadelphia Historical Commission to install multiple LED-lit signs onto the building.
Rendering by AOS Architects

1324 N. Broad Street

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A 17-story mixed-use tower designed by Cecil Baker + Partners is in the works next door to the historic Blue Horizon boxing venue. Zoning permits have been approved to build the tower, which will house 180 units, and the one-story storage facility on the site has been demolished to make way for the project.
Renderings by Cecil Baker + Partners

North Station District

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A group of New York investors called North Philadelphia District LLC has plans to transform a blighted area in North Philadelphia into a major transit-oriented development with residential units, offices, and retail. The site’s two structures would include a six-story, 105-unit apartment building and a 21-story tower with 128 apartments and 214,000 square feet of office space. If all goes to plan, the first phase of the project will break ground in 2018.
Rendering by SGA

The Beury

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Remediation work is underway at the Beury building on North Broad as part of plans to turn the Art Deco building (it originally served as the National Bank of North Philadelphia) into seven floors of senior affordable housing with 80 units and four floors of non-profit office space. The project is being developed by Shift Capital.
Rendering by WRT

Hanover North Broad

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This mixed-use project by Parkway Corp. brings two mid-rise apartment buildings to the corners of Broad and Callowhill streets, serving as a sort of gateway to North Broad. The project broke ground in February 2016 and has already started leasing its apartments and started moving in tenants.
Photo by Melissa Romero

142 N. Broad Street

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Plans are in play to turn a parking garage next to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts into an apartment building. Developed by Myron J. Berman and designed by BLT Architects, a four-story addition would be built on top of the garage at 142 N. Broad Street and include 16 balconies and a roof deck for residents. The market-rate apartments will be a mix of studios and 1-bedroom units, starting at around 400 square feet.
Rendering by BLT Architects

The Inquirer Building

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The former headquarters of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News was sold in 2011 to developer Bart Blatstein, whose originally had plans to turn it into a casino. While that has fallen through, there are talks of the police moving their headquarters here from the Round House near Chinatown, instead of the Provident Mutual Life building in West Philly. Until plans are finalized, however, the building remains vacant.
The Inquirer building (left). Courtesy of Flickr/Ian Freimuth

Telecom Carrier Hotel

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Amerimar Enterprises and Abrams Capital have been fixing up this massive carrier hotel after acquiring the 1.3 million-square-foot building in 2014. That includes things like replacing the windows, as well building an additional 23,000-square-foot “Meet Me Room” facility where tenants will be able to connect with their networks.
The Telecom Hotel in March 2017. Photo by Melissa Romero

The Mural Lofts

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Though still in the early stages, EB Realty is planning to build its first ground-up commercial space next door to Mural Lofts, on the corner of Spring Garden and North Broad. There have been talks of a Wawa and/or bank retailers leasing the new build.
Photo Melissa Romero

Studebaker Building

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Construction has been underway for months at what was once a Studebaker manufacturing plant and showroom. EB Realty’s plan is to transform the 43,400-square-foot property into a restaurant and retail hub.
The Studebaker building in March 2017. Photo by Melissa Romero

Legendary Blue Horizon

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Originally built in 1865 as a Second Empire residential home, TK ADDRESS eventually became a world-renown boxing venue in the 1960s before it closed in 2010. A year later, plans were announced to demolish the structure to make way for a hotel and music venue. But a recent visit to the site shows the building still intact and no signs of construction.

Uptown Theatre

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The historic Uptown Theater is an Art Deco venue that was built in 1927 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Plans to bring the theater back to life have been underway since 2001, when it was bought by the Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation. In March 2017, remediation began, with help from the Mural Arts Program to restore the historic windows from graffiti, according to Friends of the Uptown Theater.

Project Home

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Project HOME broke ground on this $24 million affordable housing project in April 2016. It will bring 88 residential units and ground-floor retail to the transit-oriented site.
Courtesy of Project Home

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Aloft Hotel

The 21-story historic Liberty Title and Trust Building just north of City Hall is being converted into an Aloft Hotel by Realen Properties and HRI Properties. It will include direct access to the Convention Center and feature 179 rooms. Its opening date is scheduled for June 27, 2017.
Rendering courtesy of Realen and HRI Properties

Broad and Spring Garden

Parkway Corp. has plans to transform this parking lot at Broad and Spring Garden into a transit-oriented mixed-use development with two glassy office towers. It’s a $300 million undertaking between Parkway and Nightingale.
Rendering by BLT Architects

E. Hart Stable

A historic stable on North Broad is set to turn into a mixed-use apartment building, with the anticipated opening set for spring 2018. North Broad Living Management’s adaptive reuse project 41 apartments and 5,000 square feet of ground retail to 631 N. Broad Street. Structural demolition is currently underway.
Rendering by Canno Design

Divine Lorraine Hotel

Since breaking ground in September 2015, the restoration of the historic Divine Lorraine is well on its way to completion. The two iconic signs have been re-lit, residents began moving in on January 1, 2017—about 50 percent of the units have been leased—, and the lobby renovations and exterior restoration should finish up in about two months, according to EB Realty. The ground floor will feature two restaurants and retail, and the annex next door will be converted into another restaurant, speakeasy, and boutique hotel. 
Photo by Melissa Romero

Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House

Developer EB Realty is behind the return of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House, just a few blocks from the Divine Lorraine. The historic theater is awaiting approval of a state grant to begin restoration of the limestone exterior, as well as the green light from the Philadelphia Historical Commission to install multiple LED-lit signs onto the building.
Rendering by AOS Architects

1324 N. Broad Street

A 17-story mixed-use tower designed by Cecil Baker + Partners is in the works next door to the historic Blue Horizon boxing venue. Zoning permits have been approved to build the tower, which will house 180 units, and the one-story storage facility on the site has been demolished to make way for the project.
Renderings by Cecil Baker + Partners

North Station District

A group of New York investors called North Philadelphia District LLC has plans to transform a blighted area in North Philadelphia into a major transit-oriented development with residential units, offices, and retail. The site’s two structures would include a six-story, 105-unit apartment building and a 21-story tower with 128 apartments and 214,000 square feet of office space. If all goes to plan, the first phase of the project will break ground in 2018.
Rendering by SGA

The Beury

Remediation work is underway at the Beury building on North Broad as part of plans to turn the Art Deco building (it originally served as the National Bank of North Philadelphia) into seven floors of senior affordable housing with 80 units and four floors of non-profit office space. The project is being developed by Shift Capital.
Rendering by WRT

Hanover North Broad

This mixed-use project by Parkway Corp. brings two mid-rise apartment buildings to the corners of Broad and Callowhill streets, serving as a sort of gateway to North Broad. The project broke ground in February 2016 and has already started leasing its apartments and started moving in tenants.
Photo by Melissa Romero

142 N. Broad Street

Plans are in play to turn a parking garage next to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts into an apartment building. Developed by Myron J. Berman and designed by BLT Architects, a four-story addition would be built on top of the garage at 142 N. Broad Street and include 16 balconies and a roof deck for residents. The market-rate apartments will be a mix of studios and 1-bedroom units, starting at around 400 square feet.
Rendering by BLT Architects

The Inquirer Building

The former headquarters of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News was sold in 2011 to developer Bart Blatstein, whose originally had plans to turn it into a casino. While that has fallen through, there are talks of the police moving their headquarters here from the Round House near Chinatown, instead of the Provident Mutual Life building in West Philly. Until plans are finalized, however, the building remains vacant.
The Inquirer building (left). Courtesy of Flickr/Ian Freimuth

Telecom Carrier Hotel

Amerimar Enterprises and Abrams Capital have been fixing up this massive carrier hotel after acquiring the 1.3 million-square-foot building in 2014. That includes things like replacing the windows, as well building an additional 23,000-square-foot “Meet Me Room” facility where tenants will be able to connect with their networks.
The Telecom Hotel in March 2017. Photo by Melissa Romero

The Mural Lofts

Though still in the early stages, EB Realty is planning to build its first ground-up commercial space next door to Mural Lofts, on the corner of Spring Garden and North Broad. There have been talks of a Wawa and/or bank retailers leasing the new build.
Photo Melissa Romero

Studebaker Building

Construction has been underway for months at what was once a Studebaker manufacturing plant and showroom. EB Realty’s plan is to transform the 43,400-square-foot property into a restaurant and retail hub.
The Studebaker building in March 2017. Photo by Melissa Romero

Legendary Blue Horizon

Originally built in 1865 as a Second Empire residential home, TK ADDRESS eventually became a world-renown boxing venue in the 1960s before it closed in 2010. A year later, plans were announced to demolish the structure to make way for a hotel and music venue. But a recent visit to the site shows the building still intact and no signs of construction.

Uptown Theatre

The historic Uptown Theater is an Art Deco venue that was built in 1927 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Plans to bring the theater back to life have been underway since 2001, when it was bought by the Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation. In March 2017, remediation began, with help from the Mural Arts Program to restore the historic windows from graffiti, according to Friends of the Uptown Theater.

Project Home

Project HOME broke ground on this $24 million affordable housing project in April 2016. It will bring 88 residential units and ground-floor retail to the transit-oriented site.
Courtesy of Project Home