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- The Planning Commission’s Civic Design Review Committee has granted provisional approval for the Mormon Church’s proposed mixed-use high-rise at 16th & Vine, reports Plan Philly.
- The Inquirer’s Inga Saffron weighs the pros and cons of developer David Blumenfeld’s proposed apartment building over the City Branch submerged railroad and adjacent to the solitary Rodin Museum on the Parkway. On one hand, the basic design “would immediately establish a strong urban presence on Hamilton Street, between 21st and 22d Street.” On the other, it “would drastically alter how we experience [those] two important historic structures,” making the “diminutive Rodin look hemmed in by a giant.” If the project is to move forward, Saffron suggests repositioning the figure-7 shaped building to have it front Hamilton Street.
- The Daily News previews the itinerary for Wednesday and Thursday’s visit from officials of the Democratic National Convention site-selection committee. Last night, Ed Rendell, Rep. Bob Brady and Mayor Nutter stopped by the Independence Beer Garden, where “about 150 people from the corporate, political, nonprofit and activism worlds mingled and quaffed brews in a kickoff party, the first step in recruiting an army of convention volunteers and raising $70 million in local cash.”
- The Philly History Blog looks at the 14-story Sears Tower, which stood at Adams Avenue & Roosevelt Boulevard from 1920 to 1994. “Through most of the 20th century, the Sears complex was a popular and well-known landmark in Northeast Philadelphia. It employed thousands of workers from the surrounding neighborhoods. In the 1960s, the area, still a popular hub, even had a subway station constructed. Although it was meant to be connected to the Broad Street Line, the plan never went through.”
- La Salle University will break ground on September 16 for a $35 million, 78,000-square-foot business school at Wister & Chew Avenues, says the Philadelphia Business Journal. “A 300-seat auditorium, a sales training laboratory and corporate-style boardroom are among some of the building’s features.”
About the author
Stephen Currall recently received his BA in history from Arcadia University. Before beginning doctoral studies, he is pursuing his interest in local history, specifically just how Philadelphians engage their vibrant past. Besides skimming through 18th century letters, Steve is also interested in music and travel.
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