If you happened to drive by the corner of Broad Street and Fairmount Avenue last Tuesday afternoon, you may have noticed an unusual crowd gathered in front of the Divine Lorraine. Huddled in the rain at the foot of the steps of the looming architectural landmark, Next City supporters awaited the start of a guided tour of the former hotel and the Metropolitan Opera House sitting just three blocks north.
Considered by some a blighted eyesore, the mysterious Divine Lorraine has long since intrigued graffiti artists, vandals, urban explorers, the architecturally-curious — history buffs and developers alike. Eric Blumenfeld is one of those developers who saw beauty — and opportunity — in the abandoned hotel. Earlier this year, Blumenfeld purchased the Divine with plans to convert the ten-story building into luxury loft apartments, with restaurants filling the ornate ground floor. Down the street, plans for redevelopment of the Metropolitan Opera House are also afoot. Bob Gollwitzer, project manager and director of marketing for Blumenfeld’s firm EB Realty Management Corp., led Next City supporters and staff on the tour of the Divine Lorraine and Met, providing historical background, sharing plans and visions for their redevelopment, and inviting participants to engage in shaping the future. (He also dedicated a precious few minutes to warning the curious against traipsing into those areas where floorboards have eroded to a less than reliable state.Note for the future: Avoid plywood boards on the floors of abandoned buildings)
The afternoon concluded in the lobby of the Met, now home to a church, Holyghost Headquarters Revival Center. After a tour of the former opera house’s stunning stage and upper levels, tour participants shared a toast with Holyghost Pastor Mark Hatcher, raising our glasses in celebration of a successful 2012. We at Next City are grateful for those who shared the experience with us, as well as those who couldn’t be there, but have supported this year’s work in other ways. We look forward to what 2013 will bring — and look forward to sharing it with you, our readers. And a hearty thanks to EB Reality for opening their doors to us!
Check out this time lapse video of Philadelphia’s skyline from the roof of the Divine Lorraine (credit: abadrosa on Vimeo) and photos of the event below (credit: photographer Paul Gargagliano, Hazel Photo).
lorr 001 01 X1 1360×907 from abadrosa on Vimeo.
Gallery: Inside Scoop on Next City’s Insider Tour
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Next City’s Executive Director and Editor in Chief, Diana Lind, welcomes participants to the Divine Lorraine and introduces Bob Gollwitzer, EB Realty’s Director of Marketing and our guide for the day.
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The tenth and uppermost floor of the Divine Lorraine, at one time a banquet hall and, under the ownership of Father Divine, a place of worship.
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A view of Philadelphia’s skyline from the roof of the Divine Lorraine.
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Tour participants peer out at the city below through large arched windows, open to the elements.
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A view of center city Philadelphia.
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Gollwitzer shares EB Realty’s plans to convert the Divine Lorraine into over 100 luxury apartments, just one part of the development company’s expansive vision for N. Broad Street.
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Taking a closer look at EB Realty’s presentation board.
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Next City’s tour continues at the Metropolitan Opera House, just three blocks north.
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Gollwitzer chats with Reverend Mark Hatcher of the Holyghost Headquarters Revival Center, who saved the Met from demolition in the mid-1990s.
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The Holyghost Headquarters Revival Center occupies the first floor of the former opera house.
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The deteriorating upper floor of what was once the country’s grandest opera house was sealed off with a tarp in an effort to prevent falling plaster from harming congregants below.
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EB Realty hopes to partner with the Holyghost Headquarters in preserving and repurposing the second level of the Met.
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The tour concludes with a toast and hearty thanks to Next City supporters.
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