Current Advocacy Issues

Dilworth House Saved Again!

The long and complex saga of efforts to preserve the home of former Mayor Richardson Dilworth facing Washington Square got a new burst of life in January when the Board of Licenses and Inspection Review re-affirmed its previous decision denying approval of the demolition of a portion of the house. The Historical Commission approved demolition of the rear portion of the house in 2007 to allow for the construction of a 16-story condominium tower behind the Colonial Revival structure. This was first appealed to the Board of L&I Review, which determined that the Historical Commission’s approval was in error. Subsequently, an appeal by the City of Philadelphia and the property owners, John and Mary Turchi, to the Court of Common Pleas sustained the decision of the L&I Review Board, but a further appeal by those parties to the Commonwealth Court resulted in a decision that remanded the matter back to the L&I Review Board for reconsideration.

In its latest findings the L&I Review Board states: “The Board concludes that the November 19, 2007 approval by the Historical Commission of Mr. and Mrs. Turchi’s application to construct the proposed sixteen story condominium tower was in error and is not based on reasonable interpretations of the Historic Preservation Ordinance and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and is therefore plainly erroneous.”

The house has been vacant since acquired by the Turchis in 2002. Very little apparent maintenance has been done on the property for the past ten years, which is now showing signs of deterioration. The Preservation Alliance hopes that, as a result of this recent decision, the house will be offered for sale at a reasonable price with the hope of finding a new owner committed to preserving the property for an appropriate use.

Click here to read the complete Amended Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law by the Board of L&I Review.
 

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Media coverage of the Dilworth House

"L&I Board of Review rejects Dilworth House project," Plan Philly, Jan. 12, 2012

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