As we continue to claw our way back from the financial crisis that’s weighed us down since 2008, we’re encouraged when we hear about major downtown projects that indicate renewed optimism in the marketplace. The hospitality industry has been fairly stagnant over the past decade, though we’ve seen some recent action when the Hotel Palomar opened in 2009. Hotel Monaco in Old City is set to open later this year.

Hotel Palomar

Future Hotel Monaco

Last week was the groundbreaking for the new 246 room Home2 Suites by Hilton at 12th and Arch Sts., a project we told you about six months ago. Though about $10M in government loans and grants are funding this project, another $50M of private capital makes up the difference. Just last week, we gave you the heads up…

The Sidney Hillman Medical Center, a modernist building at 2116 Chestnut St., is in the process of being torn down. According to Plan Philly, the building was designed by Magaziner & Ploss, and is barely sixty years old. Some argued for the preservation of this building, insisting that it represented an important example of modernist architecture in Philadelphia.

Looks like a High School. Image from Philly.com

Considering its location and our distaste for modernism, we’re not too bummed to lose this building, especially considering the project replacing it.

The demolition has been going on for a couple of weeks now.

Backlit

Even more backlit

Backlitiest

Replacing the building will be a new, mixed-use building developed by the John Buck Company, out of…