December 19, 2017
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
Looking west on Sansom Street in the Jewelers Row district of Philadelphia.
A proposal to raze part of Jewelers Row and build condos was granted a new zoning permit last week.
Toll Brothers, the Montgomery County-based luxury home builder, continues to plan to construct a 24-story residential tower on the south side of a portion of the 700 block of Sansom Street in Center City. The project would replace part of the oldest diamond district in the country.
The city's Department of Licenses and Inspections granted Toll Brothers "conditional approval" last week to demolish and consolidate six properties – 702, 704, 706-08 and 710 Sansom St., and 128 S. Seventh St. – into a single property for the tower. Only 712-14 Sansom St. will remain untouched by the project, according to the permit.
Toll Brothers had received approval to build a 29-story condo tower at the site, but it let that permit expire about five months ago after failing to provide the city with requested details on the proposal, the Inquirer reported.
The tower would include 85 residential units with off-site garage parking available via agreements with garage operators at 618 Market St. and 150 S. Independence Mall W, the permit states.
The plans also include first-floor commercial space facing Sansom Street and cellar parking space for 30 bicycles.
