I encourage all the Broad and Cecil readers to take note of Inga Saffron and the Inquirer’s coverage of the battle over Old City’s historic Girard Estate warehouses, which are in imminent danger of demolition at the hands of the very developers that own the property. A block of 1820s-era maritime warehouses were purchased by Brooklyn-based BRP Development in 2005, ostensibly to be renovated and turned into luxury loft space. Two years later, the only “work” done by BRP has been the ghastly disemboweling of the rear walls of two of the warehouses, pictured at right, causing obvious structural damage.
Now, conveniently, the developer has filed claims with city inspections claiming that their property is in “imminent danger of collapse”. A loophole in the zoning code authorizes the demolition of historically designated properties only under the condition that they too dilapidated to be renovated. If BRP’s properties are declared too dangerous to renovate, the developer will be allowed to demolish the only fully intact block of historic port building remaining in Philadelphia.

The pure mendacity on the part of the developers is even more sickening then the clearly intentional damage they have inflicted on a historic property. BRP still maintains that they intended to renovate the buildings all along and that this whole business was only an unfortunate accident. They maintain this lie even though another developer only one block south of their Girard Warehouse property pulled the exact same stunt in June – and won. The result was the demolition of several other historic buildings at Front and Chestnut that the other developer, Spears Brothers, had sat on for years. It is clear that BRP is taking the lead of other developers in order to clear away historic buildings and make room for bigger – and therefore more profitable – condo towers.
This tragedy cannot be repeated again. Thankfully the City is contesting BRP’s application, but that does not mean that the developer will lose the suit. There is plenty of time for appeals and back room dealing before this case is settled. Now is the time to watch your politicians in action, and see how they defend our shared history.