City to consider commons’ historic status

by MICHAEL J. MISHAK

The Philadelphia Historical Commission bolstered the hope of community preservationists last week when it voted to consider further testimony on Mt. Airy Commons, one of two venerable buildings slated for potential demolition under a new development plan.

After an hour of testimony, the commission’s committee on historic designation voted on Sept. 10 to schedule a special community meeting within 30 days regarding the embattled West Johnson Street building.

Legal representatives for both the property’s owner and its interested developers — Blair Christian Academy and Impacting Your World Ministries — agreed not to finalize the sale or seek any permits, including ones for demolition, said Historical Commission spokesman John Farnham.

Originally designed as the Presser Home for Retired Musicians, Mt. Airy Commons became the subject of controversy last month when Impacting Your World, a nondenominational Germantown church, announced its plans to purchase the surrounding 5.6-acres and raze all but one of the site’s buildings.

Four separate community groups, representing Mt. Airy and Germantown, have raised objections to any plan involving demolition. They are advocating for one that would incorporate the existing buildings.

Residents were unreceptive to a presentation earlier this month on the potential of restoring the building for low-income senior housing. A development official told the audience that while the renovation cost could reach $10 million, multiple sources of financing would be available. Mt. Airy Commons, a home for the physically and mentally disabled, closed in 2002 after investigations revealed abuse and neglect.

The church’s architect, John A. Teets, told community members at a meeting last month that historic designation could add another $2 million to a project budget already pushing $5 million.

Designed as a retirement home, Mt. Airy Commons does not lend itself to adaptive use, he said, and is particularly at odds with Impacting Your World’s plans to build a multi-use facility, which includes a new church.

Moreover, Teets said the former Presser Home was a “minor work.” Similar, more refined examples of the architecture exist elsewhere, he said.

The Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia disagrees.

Writing in the Sept. 2 edition of the Local, Alliance executive director John Andrew Gallery said the Presser property meets many of the city's criteria for historic designation. Built by sheet music publisher Theodore Presser in 1915, the building was part of an early 20th century movement to create special interest retirement homes, Gallery wrote.

Marc Stier, president of West Mt. Airy Neighbors, testified at last week's Historical Commission meeting in favor of historic designation. "It's not to say that we're not willing to talk with the church about modifying the building, even drastically, but we've had a hard time convincing them," he said. "People care about historic buildings in Northwest Philadelphia."

Stier said many community members were offended at the suggestion of Impacting Your World's attorney Carl Primavera that the nomination was motivated by "social, cultural and religious bigotry" at a Historical Commission meeting last month.

Those allegations surfaced again last week when some church members questioned community opposition, Stier said. "There is no discernable difference between whites and blacks on this issue," he said. "Most people are distraught over the terrible state this buildings have fallen into."

While a date for the Historical Commission’s special community meeting on the former Presser Home has yet to be set, another building stands to further complicate Impacting Your World’s plans.

The Nugent Baptist Home, also on the West Johnson Street site, was nominated for historic designation by the Preservation Alliance last month. The Historical Commission will vote next month on whether to consider the building.