Latest news with #WanamakerBuilding
CBS News
4 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
600 loft apartments planned for historic Wanamaker Building in Philadelphia
New York developer TF Cornerstone plans to build 600 loft-style apartments above the shuttered Macy's store in the historic Wanamaker Building in Philadelphia after acquiring complete control in a foreclosure auction Tuesday. TF Cornerstone said the apartments will be built on floors 6 through 12, while floors 4 and 5 will remain office space. The Wanamaker Organ will continue to be in use, and the Grand Court will be restored and remain open as a public space, according to the New York City-based real estate development firm. The Crystal Tea Room will also continue to serve as a venue for events. The first two floors of the former Macy's will feature a "well-curated" retail space, and the third floor will be of "one or more cultural uses," according to a news release. TF Cornerstone owned part of the building that housed the Macy's in Center City before Tuesday's foreclosure auction, which gave it total control. "Throughout this entire process, we have considered the deep historical and sentimental value of the Wanamaker Building to the Philadelphia community," TFC senior vice president Jake Elghanayan said in a statement. "Now, as the building enters its next chapter under our helm, we feel privileged to be given the opportunity to reimagine this iconic building in a way that respects its historic integrity and adds to the vibrancy of the Center City community." Macy's announced in January that its store at the iconic Wanamaker Building would be part of the retailer's closure of 150 underperforming stores. The store's last day was in March. The organization Friends of the Wanamaker Organ has maintained and continues to use the historic organ. "The Friends of the Wanamaker Organ has been enjoying a very close and fruitful relationship with the new owners of the Wanamaker Building, TF Cornerstone and look forward with gratitude to many years of a productive and artistic partnership," Friends of the Wanamaker Organ executive director Ray Biswanger said in a statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026.
CBS News
24-03-2025
- General
- CBS News
Shoppers bid farewell to Macy's as Center City Philadelphia store closes its doors for the last time
Thousands of people bid farewell to Macy's in Center City Philadelphia this weekend, and many shoppers visited the store Sunday for the final time. "It's generations of people who have this deep memory of this place, of it being a family moment for them," Sharon Chesnut said. There was a feeling of nostalgia for Philadelphia-area families who visited the landmark department store for the last time. "I've been coming here since I was a toddler," said Sharon's mom, Eleanor Chesnut. The mother and daughter came to the store to get one more photo with the eagle in the Grand Court . The two say they have decades worth of memories here. "This is the last day here and I spent a lot of time here because I like to shop. So I figured I close them down," Eleanor Chesnut said Sharon Chestnut added, "It was very important to make sure we got our family photo, to have that as a point of reminiscence for what it has meant." The Wanamaker Building has played a role in the lives of many since the store first opened in the early 1900s. And it continued to be significant even after it took on other department store names, with the latest being Macy's. The Christmas show , with music and lights several stories high, is one of the many memories Patti Kennedy said will forever stand out. "I've been here for a couple of hours roaming around thinking about all the times I met people here, laying down on the floor watching the show," Kennedy said. On Saturday, families got a chance to make one final memory inside the Grand Court, hearing a day of concerts featuring the famous Wanamaker Organ. It's the end of an era, but the building has a legacy many hope will continue. "I hope this building can be something we all can enjoy again because we have for many, many years," Brian Hopkins said.
