The Beury Building at 3701 N. Broad St., vacant but with some terrific bones, has long been a beacon of street art in the heart of North Philly. As has been reported, the infamous graffiti on the building should soon disappear, with plans in the works for quite some time to reinvigorate this gorgeous structure. William Harold Lee, who designed numerous Art Deco-style buildings in the area, was the lead architect for the then-National Bank of North Philadelphia building (which was led by Dr. Charles E. Beury at the time of construction). This building towered over its neighbors for decades, slowly deteriorating as the neighborhood saw disinvestment along the stretch. But fear not, since it appears this wonderful structure is finally getting the TLC it has craved for longer than we can remember.
We recently stopped by to check out the current state of the building and were thrilled to see multiple trucks and workers on site. Finally, after a decade of starts and stops, it looks as though renovation work is actually underway on this once-stately building. As you can see below, there is a looong way to go before this gem is fully polished, but let’s check out the details and the locally-famous art that adorns this structure.
So is something happening here at long last? It sure seems so, as Shift Capital noted last week in an Instagram post that Phase 1 of the Beury Building’s transition has officially started. This first phase will consist of a 138-key Marriott hotel, with both ground floor and rooftop (YES!) restaurants. After a couple of functional changes and design shifts, we now know that the second phase will consist of 113 rental units, to pair with surface parking for 38 cars. Zoning permits note a slight height decrease, but overall plans appear to align with the most up-to-date renderings. Shift is partnering with hospitality developer The Wankawala Organization to bring you something pretty amazing for the area.
Talk about a massive upgrade. The Digsau-designed annex will offer a modern juxtaposition that allows the original structure to be the star of the show. The annex will also contain a huge ground floor retail space to activate the street level. And even better, 50 of the 113 for-rent units will be earmarked as affordable – always a win in our minds. Additionally, the developers are working with several community organizations to bring more jobs to the neighborhood.
This project is a win-win-win for just about everyone involved. We can’t wait to see this landmark building at a key intersection get the care that it deserves, much like the Divine Lorraine did several years back. While this property sits farther north compared to many projects we’ve told you about, this is yet another feather in the cap of a rapidly evolving North Broad. Now please put us down for a rooftop reservation for opening night – those views are going to be incredible.