Hotel mulled for historic Girard Building at East Market development site

The developer of Center City's East Market commercial and residential complex is considering plans for a hotel at the historic Stephen Girard Building on the 12th Street side of the project site, between Market and Chestnut Streets.

Dan Killinger, a managing director with Washington-based National Real Estate Development, said in an interview that his team is in discussions with hospitality companies aimed at selecting a brand for what would be an approximately 185-room hotel at the 120-year-old-plus office building.

Killinger, who declined to specify which brands are under consideration, said a hotel would complement the residential, office and retail uses already planned for the East Market complex rising on Market Street between 11th and 12th Streets.

The development currently consists of two apartment buildings being built from the ground up and offices in a heavily refurbished former industrial building. All have retail tenants — including Wawa, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant and Mom's Organic Market —planned for their lower floors.

Renovations at the Stephen Girard Building, which is on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, would retain the structure's current appearance, according to project renderings.