The Parc Rittenhouse building has been renovated so often since its 1925 construction that Philadelphia-based developer Allan Domb and architect Jim Garrison didn't know what they would find when they made plans to turn it into 266 condominiums. The historic building, which was once the Penn Athletic Club where Olympic champion Jack Kelly trained, also served as a government building, offices, and apartments before becoming a Sheraton hotel in the popular Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia.
“We had some drawings from the 1920s, a couple from the 1970s and 1990s, and it became a puzzle that you have to piece together,” says Jim Garrison, an associate at Philadelphia-based Hillier Architecture.
Garrison and Domb had to choose a redevelopment plan that would please both residents and the city. The result: Parc Rittenhouse kept its original terra-cotta brick color and adopted a “stripped classical style, which is very cubic and right on the cusp of traditional architecture,” Garrison says. When completed in March 2008, the project will offer units ranging from studios to three-bedroom condominiums below seven unfinished penthouses at prices ranging from $295,000 to $6 million.
Even with upgrades such as marble bathrooms and Brazilian cherry wood floors, Domb was able to keep the price down. “Because it was a renovation of an existing building, our costs were lower and we were able to pass that on to the consumer,” he says.
When completed in March 2008, the $200 million project will include an outdoor pool, whirlpool spa, sundeck with cabanas and lounge chairs, fitness center, library, and media room. On the ground floor, there will be a new French restaurant called Parc Bistro, alongside an existing Devon Bar & Grille.