The Pennsylvania Ballet

The Pennsylvania Ballet plans to create a $17.5 million dance center on North Broad Street.  The project has broken ground on a complex of five dance studios, school and offices signaling another step forward for the revival of North Broad Street.  The project was greeted with open arms by the city and arts community.  However The project includes the demolition of a building at 325 N. Broad that is listed on the national Register of Historic Places, and the preservation community is not joining in the applause for the project.

Designed by Erdy McHenry Architecture, the dance company will be designed with an open courtyard with trees at 325 N. Broad and renovation of the building 331.  The Ballet has raised $11.2 million so far, the city is contributing $1 million through its Cultural Corridors Fund, and the state is providing $2.5 million through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.

The facade of 331 will be preserved and the building will be kept intact and renovated for office space.  The garage buildings at the rear of the site will become rehearsal studios, a green roof will be installed on one of those buildings and clear glass upper stories will eventually be added.  The only building being removed is 325 N. Broad due to poor condition.