Wanamaker Building’s apartment future | Real Estate Newsletter
And homeowners sued their builder.
When Macy’s announced it was leaving its space in the historic Wanamaker Building, one of the big questions was what would happen to the iconic property.
We’re now closer to an answer.
This month, a New York developer won full control of the huge former department store at a foreclosure auction. The company says it plans to transform the building into hundreds of apartments.
Here’s how the developer wants to do it.
Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s edition:
A winning case: See how much money a jury awarded to three Chester County families who sued their homebuilder over defects.
Help to move: Learn about the new ways Philly lawmakers have decided to assist struggling renters.
Luxe listing: Take a look at a Main Line cottage that was once part of a department store magnate’s family estate and is now for sale for $1.8 million.
DIY design: Peek inside this West Philly home designed by an owner who was inspired by her travels and heritage.
— Michaelle Bond
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TF Cornerstone, a New York-based development company, wants to turn the Wanamaker into a mixed-use building with retail spaces, a couple floors of offices, and loft-style apartments — 600 of them.
The Wanamaker spans more than 2 million square feet, if you include the parking garage. The building is now mostly vacant office space.
TF Cornerstone and its partner, Philadelphia-based Alterra Property Group, say they can transform the Wanamaker to include homes without substantially demolishing its interior.
That’ll mean creating deep apartments with lots of space that’s far from windows. TF Cornerstone said it’s built a lot of these kinds of deep apartments in buildings that it’s converted in New York.
Keep reading to learn how the developers plan to add homes to the historic space and why the Wanamaker poses unique challenges for redevelopment.
📮If you’ve lived in a home with limited natural light, how did you brighten up the space? To share your story with folks who might be looking for tips, email me.
Three families bought houses in the same Chester County development for between $600,000 and $800,000.
Years after they moved in, they discovered that water was getting inside and causing damage. Inspectors told them stucco and windows weren’t installed right. Two of the homes had mold.
An Inquirer investigation a few years ago highlighted just how widespread water intrusion is because of construction defects.
When these homeowners found out firsthand, they demanded that their builder, Chester County-based Southdown Homes, make repairs. The price tag would be more than $100,000 per property. When the builder didn’t make the fixes, the homeowners sued.
They accused the builder of negligence, misrepresentation, breach of contract, and consumer law violations. The builder said the homeowners’ problems were their own fault.
Earlier this month, a jury sided with the homeowners and awarded them millions of dollars.
These were the first in a batch of residents’ lawsuits against the builder to go to trial.
Keep reading for more details about this case, including just how much the homeowners were awarded.
The latest news to pay attention to
Struggling Philly renters are getting more assistance thanks to two bills City Council just passed.
A 19th-century Main Line cottage, once part of a department store magnate’s family estate, is on the market for $1.8 million.
A West Philly affordable housing project is being held up over concerns about drug treatment.
One of Philly’s oldest community gardens got preserved in a rare deal with the city.
More Philly developers are looking to build artist and maker spaces like the Bok building.
Traci Powell, owner and broker of Realty One Group Purpose who was praised during last week’s City Council meeting, has died at 44.
Ikea has come to Cherry Hill as part of the company’s plans for smaller stores.
House of the week: For $469,900 in Germantown, a six-bedroom twin built in 1900 that has an enclosed front porch.
As Sharmin Hossain designed and painted her West Philly rowhouse and installed the art inside, she drew on inspiration from her life: her travels to Morocco, upbringing in New York, and homeland of Bangladesh.
Her colorful home features textures and patterns. She wanted a “vibrant and exhilarating” living room, so she chose wallpaper with a floral geometric pattern that reminds her of Morocco.
Hossain left New York a few years ago to be closer to her best friend and for what she called “a slower life.”
Now, she resonates with the sharing and helpful spirit of her West Philly neighborhood. As she made her house her home, neighbors lent her tools and helped install curtains, shelves, and a garden bed.
Peek inside Hossain’s home and find out why a small area near her entryway is one of her favorite spaces.
📷 Photo quiz
Do you know the location this photo shows?
📮 If you think you do, email me back. And share any memories you may have at this spot.
I got a lot of confident but wrong answers to last week’s quiz. To be fair, there are a bunch of buildings in Philly that look like each other.
But that photo showed the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts.
Shout-out to Josh M. for being one of the few readers who got that right.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
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