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Painted Bride hearing for historical designation now on hold until fall

Representatives of the Painted Bride said they want to explore a resolution with preservation advocates.

Executive Director of the Painted Bride Arts Center, Laurel Raczka, stands outside the current location of the Painted Bride in Old City. GENEVA HEFFERNAN / Staff Photographer
Executive Director of the Painted Bride Arts Center, Laurel Raczka, stands outside the current location of the Painted Bride in Old City. GENEVA HEFFERNAN / Staff PhotographerRead moreGENEVA HEFFERNAN / Staff Photographer

The Philadelphia Historical Commission on Friday postponed consideration of historic designation for the Painted Bride Art Center in Old City.

The decision came at the request of representatives of the Bride. Joan Sloan, Bride board chair, said the organization wanted time to see if any accommodation could be reached with those seeking to protect the building, at 230 Vine St., which is entirely sheathed in mosaics by artist Isaiah Zagar.

"We would like a resolution," she said.

Late last year, the Bride announced that it planned to sell its iconic building and become a "project-based" organization working with neighborhoods around the city.

>>READ MORE: Painted Bride is selling its building and will focus totally on projects

Several members of the arts community, including those based in Old City, questioned the plan and wondered about the fate of the building in the hands of a developer.

>>READ MORE: Old City artists concerned about silence surrounding Painted Bride sales plan

>>READ MORE: Painted Bride board's plan to sell historic building is 'organizational suicide' | Opinion

Emily Smith, executive director of Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, a South Street educational and artistic site that showcases Zagar's work, nominated the building for designation in March in an effort to preserve the mosaics.

Smith said she was eager to talk with representatives of the Bride. She added there are several possibilities that could preserve the building and fulfill the Bride's desire to free itself of ownership.

The commission postponed the hearing until its September meeting.