Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has lashed out at Toll
Brothers Inc.’s new plans to nearly double the height of a residential tower
the developer wants to construct along Jewelers’ Row.
Toll Brothers is seeking to construct a 29-story apartment
building along five properties in the 700 block of Sansom Street. The Horsham,
Pennsylvania, developer initially had proposed a 16-story tower but expanded
the height after securing the air rights to three neighboring buildings. Toll
(NYSE:TOL) had also previously said it was still determining whether it could
retain the facades of the buildings and incorporate them into its design or
raze them.
The builder has pulled a demolition permit and, by right,
can construct what it is proposing despite the efforts by preservationists and
others to thwart the developer’s plans. Critics of the project say it would
potentially ruin what is the country’s most historic diamond district. However,
some jewelry store owners along Sansom Street welcome the new development.
The project has stoked passions on both sides of the
issues and Kenney has weighed in with a tersely worded statement that he issued
late Friday afternoon.
Kenney said he found the developer’s plans to nearly
double the height of the project and not retain the facades “deeply disturbing”
and encouraged Toll Brothers to reconsider and incorporate suggestions that
have been made by the city's Civic Design Review Board.
“If they do not, Toll Brothers will be sending a clear
message that they no longer wish to have a productive relationship with the
City of Philadelphia,” Kenney said.
The mayor said that he had previous conversations with
the developer that led him to believe Toll would be a “good corporate citizen”
by not only investing in an area that could use it but would do so in a manner
that would respect the character of Jewelers’ Row.
Attempts to reach Toll Brothers for immediate comment
were unsuccessful.
The Preservation Alliance had planned to file appeals of
the demolition permits that Toll Brothers has pulled. Those appeals would be
with the review board of the Department of Licenses & Inspections.
Source: Philadelphia
Business Journal
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