We were killing time yesterday before heading to a ZBA hearing, and decided to take a quick jaunt to the neighborhood near Temple to see if we could spot anything interesting. Probably the most noteworthy thing we noticed was at 1534 N. 16th St., a large old building that’s undergoing a significant renovation effort. Looking at the sign on the side of the structure, it was last used, apparently, as a community center, run by the North Philadelphia Seventh Day Adventist church.

The building

Across the street

According to the L&I Map, the plan for this property is twenty-five apartments, church offices, continued use as a community center, and a space to prepare food on the first floor. It seems likely that the association will continue with the church across the street, despite the fact that the property is owned by an LLC and not the church as of a couple of years ago. But the fact that the building will hold church offices and that the LLC didn’t apparently pay for the building would support the case that it’s still in the same hands as before.

Unfortunately, the project, designed by Stanev Potts Architects, is only moving forward in fits and starts. There have been numerous violations on the property in the last couple of years, and a Stop Work Order issued last month appears to remain in effect. Hopefully, the apparent disconnect between the permits and the renovation being implemented will soon be worked out and the church will soon resume work on this wonderful adaptive reuse.