Toll Bros. plans to work with Jewelers' Row merchants on tower

Toll Brothers Inc. said it plans to work with the Jewelers' Row community on a controversial 16-story condominium tower the developer is proposing in the heart of the historic diamond district in Philadelphia.

The project involves razing six properties in the 700 block of Sansom Street to make way for the building that would have 80 units. The development was first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

                 

         

Toll’s City Living division has received zoning approval from Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses & Inspections for the project.

“Despite the by-right zoning status of this project, Toll Brothers City Living plans to engage the local community throughout this process,” said Michael J. Duff, a Toll spokesman, in a statement. “We are committed to delivering a residential building that is respectful of the history of Jewelers’ Row while rejuvenating it for the future. Although we are still considering our prospective development plans for this project, we intend, through contextual architectural design, for the existing cornice line of Sansom Street to remain intact while retaining retail space along the street level for jewelry stores to preserve the iconic Jewelers Row streetscape.”

The proposal has caused quite a stir along Jewelers Row as well as in the preservation community. The Preservation Alliance initiated an online petition to stop the demolition that already gathered 3,000 signatures toward its goal of 5,000. The organization believes that part of the charm of Philadelphia’s diamond district is its small, scale shops and storefronts that have been around for 150 years. A condo tower on the scale Toll is proposing would be out of step with that low-slung context.

“Gouging out these six buildings, which range in construction date from 1875-1924, will forever alter Jewelers’ Row and ruin one of our city’s most iconic destinations,” the Preservation Alliance said in its petition. “Please help stop this outrageous and destructive land grab. Let’s help them find another place for their project.”

With more construction activity underway in Philadelphia than ever, razing structures to make way for new development regularly comes up and, when it threatens history and the historical fabric of the city, it is often met with resistance.

The Boyd Theatre at 1910 Chestnut St. is a recent example of a battle over historic preservation and a developer’s desire to construct an apartment building. Pearl Properties was granted permission for a partial demolition of the Boyd to the dismay of those who wanted the movie palace to remain intact.

Another example involved the late developer Hal Wheeler. He wanted to tear down the Rittenhouse Club, Rindelaub’s Bakery and other properties to make way for 10 Rittenhouse Square. A compromise was struck and the facade of the Rittenhouse Club was incorporated into the condominium building while other buildings were taken down.

The buildings Toll wants to demolish are not designated as historic and the project is by right, which could make protecting them a challenge.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal