The William Penn statue atop City Hall. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking Back at the Originally Intended Placement of the Statue of William Penn atop City Hall

The statue of William Penn has stood at the very top of Philadelphia City Hall in Center City for well over a hundred years, facing northeast. The large figure of the Quaker was crafted by sculptor Alexander Milne Calder, who also produced the smaller statues just above the clock house and around the entire building. The 548-foot-tall Philadelphia City Hall was designed by John McArthur Jr. and Thomas Ustick Walter, renown architects of their time. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY takes a look back at the original southern direction the statue was supposed to face and at the subsequent change.

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2108 and 2110 North Marshall Street. Looking northwest. Credit: Google Maps

Permits Issued for Two Multi-Family Buildings at 2108 and 2110 North Marshall Street in North Philadelphia East

Permits have been issued for the construction of a pair of multi-family buildings at 2108 and 2110 North Marshall Street in North Philadelphia East near Temple University. Each building will rise three stories and will contain three residential units, with a total of six new apartments. Each will span a ground footprint of 954 square feet and will contain 2,862 square feet of interior space, translating to an average of 954 square feet per apartment. Both buildings will feature full sprinkling and roof decks, which promise to provide sweeping skyline views due to a lack of significant nearby obstructions. The permits are the latest in a series of recent development announcements for the North Central Philadelphia district that was hit particularly hard by depopulation and demolitions in the postwar period.

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Current view of 1425 North 7th Street. Credit: Google.

Permits Issued for Three-Unit Building at 1425 North 7th Street in Ludlow, North Philadelphia

Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-unit multi-family building at 1425 North 7th Street in LudlowNorth Philadelphia. Upon completion, the building will rise three stories tall. A roof deck will be located at the top of the building, with a roof deck access structure. In total, the building will hold 3,369 square feet of space, with construction costs estimated at $230,000.

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Current view of 500-02 South Street. Credit: Google.

Permits Issued For 500-02 South Street In Queen Village, South Philadelphia

Permits have been issued for a multi-family renovation of 500-02 South Street in Queen VillageSouth Philadelphia. The building will rises three stories tall, with two private roof decks at the top of the structure. The second and third floors will be refitted to accommodate four residential units, while the existing retail space on the ground floor to remain. The renovation cost is listed at $350,000.

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2218 North Marshall Street. Looking northwest. Credit: Google Maps

Permits Issued for Three-Unit Building at 2218 North Marshall Street in North Philadelphia East

Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story, three-unit multi-family building at 2218 North Marshall Street in North Philadelphia East. The structure will replace a vacant lot on the west side of the block between West Susquehanna Avenue and Germantown Avenue. The building will rise from an 853-square-foot footprint and will contain 2,591 square feet of interior space, which translates to an average of around 864 square feet per apartment. The project will feature full sprinkling and a roof deck, which will offer sweeping views in most directions, as the structure will stand largely unobstructed (at least for the time being).

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