Saturday, November 29, 2008

Then and Now: 17th and John F. Kennedy Boulevard looking north, Philadelphia

1959-2008

The Sheraton Penn Center hotel (left) was completed in 1957 during the first phase of the development of the Penn Center highrise and office district. The 21-story modernist tower was later rechristened as the Philadelphia Centre Hotel before falling victim to a major hotel industry downturn in the 80s, which ultimately led to its demolition in 1988. Initial redevelopment plans were halted during the recession that shortly followed, and the site remained an empty lot for more than a decade, up until the completion of Liberty Property Trust's 57-story Comcast Center earlier this year.

Old images of Penn Center [Athenaeum of Philadelphia]

Source: Hine, Thomas. "None rise to champion the doomed Centre Hotel." Philadelphia Inquirer. 11 Oct. 1987. Newsbank Access World News. Haverford College Library, Haverford, PA. 29 Nov. 2008.
Original Image: "Department of City Transit-39617-0." 1959. Philadelphia City Archives. PhillyHistory.org. Philadelphia Department of Records. 23 Nov. 2008. http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/MediaStream.ashx?mediaId=59337

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