Current Advocacy Issues
UPDATES:
Interiors Protected! (May 2011)
The Philadelphia Historical Commission has voted to designate the historic public interior spaces of the Family Court Building on Logan Square to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. In a unanimous decision made at their May 13th meeting, the Commission approved the nomination submitted by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia last October. This is only the second historically certified interior to be approved by the Commission, following the designation of City Council Chambers in November 2010. Listing on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places ensures that any changes to these interiors would need prior review and approval by the Commission.
The Family Court Building, whose exterior was added to the Philadelphia Register in 1971, stands as one of the most prominent public buildings in the city of Philadelphia and one of the city’s most significant legacies from the Great Depression era of federally-funded public works projects known popularly as the New Deal. The protected interior spaces include the building’s grand main hall, four courtrooms, two waiting rooms, and a grand staircase—approximately 18,000 square feet of the 250,000 square-foot-building. They were designed by noted Philadelphia architect John T. Windrim (Franklin Institute, PNB Tower) and contain 37 original murals, the largest collection of New Deal public art in the city.
The nomination received the support of the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Design Advocacy Group, the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts, the Fairmount Park Art Association, and the Philadelphia Department of Public Property. Copies of these nominations are available at http://www.preservationalliance.com/advocacy/library.php:
The Family Court Building on Logan Square is in grave danger!
Click here to become a Friend of Family Court
The City of Philadelphia is planning the construction of a new Family Court facility at 15th and Arch Streets. If and when this new building is constructed, the court’s move will leave its current Family Court building vacant. Designed by John T. Windrim and built by the New Deal-era Public Works Administration in 1938-41, this grand neoclassical edifice is among Philadelphia’s most significant public buildings. Designed as a companion to the Free Library of Philadelphia (Horace Trumbauer, 1917-27), the pair stand in near-perfect symmetry on the north side of Logan Circle. Inside, its thirty-seven WPA murals are among the city's greatest collections of public art.
Although owned by the City of Philadelphia, the current Nutter administration has decided to sell or lease the building to a private developer. The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation issued an RFP in June to solicit proposals from developers. This process is extremely unusual for a number of reasons:
- City regulations require the Commission of Public Property to declare a city-owned property as surplus before it can be offered for sale. The Family Court building is not surplus property. It is in active use and will likely be so for many years to come.
- City regulations also require City Council approval before selling any city-owned property. No bill has been introduced seeking council approval of this sale.
- The Nutter administration has ignored Alliance requests to nominate the historic interior spaces for protection by the Philadelphia Historical Commission. More significantly, a "model" reuse plan included in the city's RFP depicts the complete destruction of four architecturally significant interior spaces.
- Although the administration acknowledges the building's listing on
the Philadelphia Register and recognizes the jurisdiction of the Philadelphia Historical Commission to review exterior alterations, it continues to suggest that a tower might be built on top of the current building. This would not only destroy the historic symmetry of the Family Court and Free Library, but would drastically change the character of Logan Square. Requests by the Alliance to establish a firm guideline against a tower addition have been ignored.
Why is this being done now? The Nutter administration says it has to select a developer before Governor Rendell leaves office, despite the fact that plans for the new Family Court facility are mired in controversy and uncertainty. They will not explain why this timing is necessary, and are proceeding with little regard for the historic character of Logan Square, the integrity of the building's interiors, or the established precedents for disposing of significant public property.
We Need Your Help! Become a Friend of Family Court!
The Preservation Alliance has identified five principles for a better future for the Family Court building, which you can read by clicking here. By endorsing these principles, you will become a Friend of Family Court and your name will be added to a list of supporters we are presenting to Mayor Nutter. Even if you already signed our earlier petition, your participation now is crucial. Numbers count, and we need your endorsement to show that Philadelphians care about their civic inheritance. And if you are not already a member of the Preservation Alliance, please consider joining. Your membership dues will help us financially in our campaign for Family Court. If you are already a member, an additional donation to our advocacy fund can further the impact of this campaign.
Read John Gallery's op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer (8/4/10) here.
Read more project coverage (including interior photos) by Plan Philly here.
Read John Gallery’s letter to Mayor Nutter here.
Read John Gallery’s letters to the Inquirer here (4/19/10) and here (5/31/10).
Read Design Advocacy Group Chairperson Joanne Aitken's letter to the Inquirer here.
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