The historic Ninth Bank and Trust at the corner of Front & Norris streets in Kensington, Philadelphia, is in imminent danger of being demolished. Built in 1919, this magnificent behemoth has been a fixture of the neighborhood for generations. The most recent owners (Onion Flats / Bank Flats LP) had promised reuse of the property to the public. Then, in 2021, the property was sold to the as of yet to be publicly identified current owners. They have designs drawn up and posted online also purportedly for adaptive reuse. But if this was indeed their intent, why then did they apply for & receive a zoning permit for "Full Demolition, for the complete demolition of the existing structure." ??? It doesn't really matter what public-facing messages or plans these developers have put forward. They can say whatever they want to appease the public, but with this permit, the current owners are legally allowed to demolish the building at their leisure, without facing any repercussions whatsoever. Once demolition begins, there is no turning back. All we the people of Philadelphia have to go on is their word.

This is why we are demanding that the current owners of the Ninth Bank & Trust withdraw their demolition permit with L&I immediately. They do not require such a permit to do any work on the interior of the premises, and any indication to the contrary by the developers or anyone else is smoke & mirrors at best. To be clear, we are not protesting the proposed adaptive reuse of this building. We are specifically protesting the fact that the developers have applied for & received the aforementioned "Full Demolition" permit, which grants them the right to demolish the property at a moment's notice.

Please sign this petition, and share!!! Please Email your city councilperson. We need better protections for historical sites in our "heritage city." We've lost too many important properties, and this is our chance to make a difference for the future, to preserve our past. Thank you.