Labov Building--3 Rector Street

On December 18, 2008, MNC won it's appeal against the proposed five story overbuild of 3 Rector. The project is stopped.

• Photo/Image Galleries
  • Exterior views of building
  • Interior views of building
  • Adjacent Buildings
  • Conceptual approval by Historical Commission
  • Final Plans approved by Historical Commission and taken to zoning
  • MNC projections and renderings to show relationship to surroundings
  • Non retail businesses in the immediate neighborhood. Used to show lack of hardship.
• Documents
  • In 2005, developers proposed to demolish the historic mill building at 3 Rector Street to build 17 condos. June 8, 2005 letter from MNC to Historical Commission opposing the demolition of the building
  • Minutes of the June 10, 2005 Historical Commission hearing where the demolition was denied.
  • June 10, 2005 letter from MNC to Councilman Nutter asking him to reconsider his support of the demolition of the building.
  • June 10, 2005 letter from Councilman Nutter supporting the demolition of 3 Rector Street.
  • The developers appealed the Historical Commission's denial to the Board of Building Standards. July 7, 2005 letter from MNC to the Board of Building Standards opposing the demolition of 3 Rector. The Board upheld the denial. The developers appealed to the L&I Review Board but dropped the appeal before any hearings. They then went on to propose building on top of the exisiting building.
  • MNC met with the developers in December 2005 about the overbuild concept. We felt the devlopers did not present sufficient detail to support the concept. January 30, 2006 letter from MNC to the Architectural Committee of the Historical Commission supporting the recommendation of the Historical Commission staff to deny the application.
  • June 9, 2006 letter from MNC to the Historical Commission, opposing the overbuild.
  • June 16, 2006, developers file for zoning variance. 22 unit condo overbuild.
  • June 21, 2006 approval, by the Historical Commission, of the overbuild.
  • July 5, 2006 MNC appeal to the Board of Building Standards
  • July 11, 2006 MNC appeal accepted.
  • July 14, 2006 letter from the developer's attorney to the Board of Building Standards, challenging our standing to appeal.
  • July 20, 2006 letter from Councilman Nutter's chief of staff, Julia Chapman, supporting the overbuild proposal.
  • MNC talking points for the July 20, 2007 Board of Building Standards hearing.
  • August 15, 2006 Board of Building Standards denies MNC's appeal.
  • August 16, 2006 letter from MNC to ZBA opposing the overbuild.
  • October 2, 2006 letter to Julia Chapman, urging the council office not to support a zoning variance. . At this point Councilman Nutter had resigned to run for mayor and his chief of staff, Julia Chapman, was running the office. Note, the date on the letter, June 10 2005 is incorrect. The letter was sent October 2, 2006 in anticipation of a October 4 hearing.
  • Notes for our October 4, 2006 testimony at the ZBA.
  • October 4, 2006, Julia Chapman enters a support letter at the ZBA
  • Transcript of October 4, 2006 ZBA hearing
  • November 30, 2006 the ZBA granted the variance MNC appealed the decision.
  • February 21, 2007 Board of Building Standards Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. MNC appealed Board of Building Standards descision sustaining the Historical Commission's approval of the overbuild. This is the legal document describing and supporting their decision.
  • February 26, 2007, developer's attorney attempts to have our Board of Building Standards appeal dismissed for lack of standing
  • MNC's March 19, 2007 response to the motion to quash.
  • On April 18, 2007, MNC is granted standing in the Board of Building Standards appeal.
  • May 1, 2007, the ZBA produced it's findings of facts and conclusions of law.
  • May 7, 2007 MNC filed our breif in the common plead appeal to the Board of Building Standards decision.
  • June 1, 2007 -- Developer brief to Common Pleas in BBS appeal. ( Exhibits )
  • June 4, 2007 -- City of Philadelphia brief to Common Pleas in BBS appeal.
  • July 26, 2007 -- MNC loses our appeal. Historical Commission approval stands. Zoning appeal is still ongoing
  • August 8, 2007 -- MNC's brief to Common Pleas in ZBA appeal
  • December 4, 2007 -- MNC loses the Common Pleas zoining appeal. We appeal to the Commonwealth courts (state)
  • January 23, 2008 -- Developers moves to have our Commonwealth appeal dismissed
  • February 4, 2008 -- MNC files it's Statment of Issues in the appeal. This lays out the basis for our appeal.
  • February 6, 2008 -- MNC files it's reply to the motion to quash.
  • February 12, 2008 -- Motion to quash is denied. Appeal will go forward
  • April 23, 2008 -- MNC's brief to the Commonwealth Court
  • May 23, 2008 -- Developer's brief
  • December 18, 2008 -- Happy Holidays! MNC won the appeal and the overbuild project is stopped.

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