Proposed for the corner of 38th and Chestnut in the heart of University City, is an apartment tower which is hoped to shore up the finances of the Philadelphia Cathedral and enable a steady income stream to be used for costly maintenance and repairs to the church (built 1889, rebuilt 1906) just up the street on 38th. The major bone of contention is the required demolition of two certified historic buildings on the Chestnut Street side (both of which are owned by the Cathedral). Another thorny issue is the massing on this busy corner which will likely overshadow the church itself. Anyway, it's just a proposal for now, and hopefully something more interesting can be done with the exterior.
Courtesy of BLT Architects
Courtesy of BLT Architects
Further reading can be had
here.
I'll have more updates when they become available.