Last fall, we told you that developer Eric Blumenfeld had purchased the historic yet blighted Divine Lorraine, ostensibly with plans for a mixed-use renovation for the building. At the time, rumor had it that Marc Vetri was in discussions with Blumenfeld about opening a restaurant on the ground floor of the building, though nothing had been confirmed. This seemed like a reasonable fit, as Vetri has Osteria and Alla Spina within a few blocks of the property.

Divine Lorraine

We’ve heard rumblings, however, that a different big-time Philly restaurateur is very close to an agreement with Blumenfeld on a retail space- and that would be Mr. Stephen Starr. Like Vetri, Starr already has a presence on North Broad Street, with Route 6 near Alla Spina, and his catering kitchen which opened last year in the former Ridge Avenue Shelter. Blumenfeld happens to be his landlord there.

Starr's still new catering kitchen. Image from the Daily News.

We’re hearing that the Divine Lorraine will be home to the fourth Buddakan location. With spots already established in Old City, Atlantic City and New York City, Buddakan has been one of Starr’s most successful concepts to date. This would mark the second of Starr’s restaurants to establish an additional location within the city limits, joining Continental with that honor.

Stare at the giant golden buddha

The deal isn’t finalized as of yet, but things are looking very likely at this point. No doubt that if this comes to pass it will be a coup for Blumenfeld, and may inspire a couple of other tenants to sign on quickly. As for the timeline for the project, that remains somewhat murky, as there are so many moving pieces that still need to fall into place. Still, this is some very exciting news, with more sure to follow in the months to come.