SPECIAL MEETING OF THE PHILADELPHIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION 10 February 1983 Present: Janet S. Klein, Vice Chairman of the Commission John F. McCloskey, Commissioner, Department of Public Property Val C. Mogensen, Executive Assistant Director of Finance Herbert U. Levy, A.I.A., Architectural Advisor to the Commission Richard Tyler, Historian Patricia Siemiontkowski, Architectural Historian Also: Mr. Herd of Zalesne & Herd, Mr. Underberger, attorney for the Scottish Rite Temple and Mr. Zuritsky of the Parkway Cor- poration to request permission to demolish the building situate at the southwest corner of Broad and Race Streets. Scottish Rite Temple, Southwest corner of Broad and Race Streets. On 10 February 1983 members of the Philadelphia Historical Commission met with Messrs. Herd, Underberger and Zuritsky to review the Temple's request for permission to demolish the building at the southwest corner of Broad and Race Streets. Before hearing the testimony of the applicants on this matter, Mr. Tyler reviewed for the Commission members the significance of the building and the recommendation of the Commission's Architectural Committee reached at its 19 January 1983 meeting. It was the opinion of the Architectural Committee that the deteriorated and obsolete condition of the building, its limited capacity for re-use and the owner's unsuccessful attempts to market the structure over the past five years made the potential for preservation of the Scottish Rite Temple extremely doubtful. In view of this, the Committee recommended that the Historical Commission not impose its six month statuatory delay since, in this case, such a delay would simply inflict a continuing financial hardship on the owners. Following the Historian's brief introduction, Mr. Herd and Mr. Underberger restated for the Commission members the facts reported to the Architectural Committee on 19 January 1983 and recorded in the minutes of that meeting. Mr. Herd elaborated further on the Scottish Rite Temple's intensive SPECIAL MEETING 2 10 February 1983 campaign to market the building over the last six months. Only the Electric Factory and Temple University had expressed a serious interest in the building during the period. Temple University considered occupying the building on a lease basis; the Electric Factory expressed its interest in the upper floors only. Both, however, withdrew after careful study of the structure and its potential for a successful lease. Following some additional discussion of the matter, a motion to allow the demolition of the Scottish Rite Temple at the southwest corner of Broad and Race Streets
its interest in the upper floors only. Both, however, withdrew after careful study of the structure and its potential for a successful lease. Following some additional discussion of the matter, a motion to allow the demolition of the Scottish Rite Temple at the southwest corner of Broad and Race Streets was made, seconded and carried. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:15 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Patricia Siemiontkowski Architectural Historian [HANDWRITTEN NOTES: At the top left of the page, there is a handwritten notation that appears to read "_/n" or similar marking. The quality and angle make it difficult to transcribe with complete certainty, but it appears to be a filing or reference mark.]