[DudeGuy]

Philly officials recommend demolition of historic Rittenhouse Square buildings set ablaze amid unrest in May
https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20201030.html

The three structures are on the 1700 block of Walnut Street, the most prestigious shopping corridor in Philadelphia and a city historic district.

The fate of the buildings has been uncertain since they were set ablaze by vandals on the night of May 30, following a day of somber demonstrations condemning the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The fires destroyed the interiors of 1706, 1708, and 1710 Walnut, leaving only their blackened and scorched front facades standing.

L&I officials initially thought the buildings' fragile brick facades could be saved and new structures constructed behind them. But earlier this month, the department informed the Historical Commission that the trio would have to be demolished “as soon as possible for safety reasons,” commission executive director Jonathan Farnham wrote in an email Friday.

Because the buildings are part of the city’s Rittenhouse-Fitler Historic District, they cannot be demolished or reconstructed without the Historical Commission’s involvement. While Farnham said the commission has not yet received formal requests for demolition, the building owners will be required to reconstruct the buildings “to their original appearances” within a year. To ensure the accuracy of those replicas, they will have to make laser scans of the facades before starting demolition and incorporate salvaged building materials into the new construction.

The owners of the three properties — McDonalds' Corp., Pamela Ferber, and Joan and Barbara Keiser — could not be reached for comment.

Can the city really mandate the owners rebuild the structures exactly the same? That seems absurd.