Philadelphia Renaissance Threatens Working Diamond District

Heretofore preservationists in the City of Brotherly Love have been focused on finding new uses for vacant, historic buildings, but the city's economic resurgence now threatens five, occupied low-rise buildings city's in vibrant Jewelers Row.

3 minute read

October 13, 2016, 1:00 PM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Philadelphia is rebounding after decades of decline. A high-end urban developer wants to capitalize on the city's revitalization to the chagrin of some jewelers who stand to lose their businesses so the district may prosper more.

Save Jewelers Row! t-shirt
Credit: Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia

"A plan by Toll Brothers City Living, a developer, to make way for 80 new residential units on the 700 block of Sansom Street, the center of Jewelers Row, is challenging some of the district’s businesses and is shifting priorities for activists in the city," writes Jon Hurdle for The New York Times.

Toll Brothers plans to demolish five three- and four-story buildings erected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to build a 16-story condominium tower. It has promised to preserve the appearance of the street by building a new facade on the site of the demolished buildings. Demolition is scheduled to start in mid-2017, and construction is expected to take about two years.

"The project is another signal of soaring demand for residential and commercial retail space in a city that had decades of economic decline after a manufacturing slump, starting in the mid-20th century, but which is now seeing a renaissance in its central area," adds Hurdle. 

"For most of the last half century, we were fighting the forces of depopulation and decline, and so preservation was often about finding new uses for vacant buildings before we lost them," said Paul Steinke, executive director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia,

Like most older, large cities in America, Philadelphia's population peaked after World War II and then declined until relatively recently.

Year                      Population             Percentage Change from Prior Decade

1950                     2,071,605                        +7.3%
1960                     2,002,512                        −3.3%
1970                     1,948,609                        −2.7%
1980                     1,688,210                       −13.4%
1990                     1,585,577                        −6.1%
2000                     1,517,550                        −4.3%
2010                     1,526,006                        +0.6%
2014                     1,560,297                        +2.2%

Credit: Demographics of Philadelphia - Wikipedia.

“Jewelers Row is symbolic of a new reality, which is that occupied, functioning, taxpaying buildings with businesses and residences already in them for a century or more are now being targeted for developers for demolition and new construction,” Steinke said.

Hurdle interviews some of the jewelers who stand to be displaced by the development. For them, location is key, and many suspect they will lose their livelihood if forced to vacate from their buildings.

One term not found in the article is gentrification, although that it is used in an earlier post on the project by Planetizen contributing editor Philip Rojc.

“The Jewelers Row situation is definitely a wake-up call that our preservation, planning and zoning apparatus is out of sync with contemporary needs in a historic city that’s undergoing a building boom,” Mr. Steinke said

"The city’s zoning board last week declined an appeal against the development by the Preservation Alliance," adds Hurdle.

Related on Planetizen:

Correspondent's footnote: 'Save Jewelers Row' T–shirt can be purchased from Preservation Alliance.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016 in The New York Times - Real Estate

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Street with parking protected bike lane and parked cars in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance

The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

July 8 - Willamette Week

Aerial view of Spokane, Washington with river in foreground.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package

Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

July 8 - The Spokesman-Review

Close-up on black and white "Bike Lane Ends" sign with bike logo.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane

The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.

July 8 - Houston Public Media

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA