1959 is one of the greatest years ever for jazz albums but for “Invisible Man’ novelist Ralph Ellison the Golden Age at Minton’s in Harlem was already long gone.
As one of the most historic cities in the country, Philadelphia faces uniquely intense pressures between historic preservation and development. A new controversy on the city's Historic Commission offers the latest example of the dynamic.
1959 is one of the greatest years ever for jazz albums but for “Invisible Man’ novelist Ralph Ellison the Golden Age at Minton’s in Harlem was already long gone.
Philly Historic Commission official resigns, citing 12th Street Gym building interference whyy.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from whyy.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Jewelers Row in the 700 block of Sansom Street as a demolition crew makes way for a new condo tower on Jan. 22, 2020. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
Demolition work in Philadelphia dropped by more than half in 2020 cheering preservationists but forecasting a possible slowdown in development projects heading into the New Year.
Records from the city’s Department of Licenses & Inspections said that demo permit requests have fallen 54% from 2019. Although construction activity overall remained relatively strong in 2020 despite the pandemic, many analysts expect that economic blows linked to COVID-19 are taking longer to manifest in the construction trades.
“We typically lag an economic recession by 12 to 18 months,” said Ben Connors, president of General Building Contractors Association. “This is a little bit different, so we do think there’s potentially a slowdown coming.”