The Church of the Assumption, a mid-19th century building, is slated to be demolished. The Philadelphia Historical Commission is allowing the demolition after the non-profit that owns the site claimed it was financially incapable of the repairs.
Some fear that the demolition will leave an empty site for years, blighting the neighborhood, while others are concerned with preserving the diminishing number of historic churches in Philadelphia.
Inga Saffron writes that "(D)espite those concerns, the building's owner, the nonprofit Siloam, which provides free services to people with HIV/AIDS, argued that its own survival could be in jeopardy if it were forced to preserve the church and make costly repairs that could require more than $1.5 million."
Read the full story: Historic Philadelphia church to be torn down
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