Councilwoman: Vacant Kensington Warehouse Victim Of Recession
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The recession may have played a role in the tragic fire Monday morning in Kensington that claimed the lives of two Philadelphia firefighters.
City Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez, whose district includes the site of the fire, says New York developers three years ago purchased the building with some grand plans.
"We had been approached about three years ago by someone who had purchased the building and was in the process of renovating it and converting it to 80 apartments."
But, the project fell through, according to the Councilwoman, because of the ripple effects of the recession.
"The housing slump created a problem for financing," so the building sat vacant, a nuisance for neighbors, cited by the city, until it burned with tragic consequences Monday morning.
For Quinones-Sanchez, it is a sorry refrain, "This is not the first time. Hopefully, it will be the last time. But, we continue to have challenges with these vacant factories."
The issue she says is citywide, not just in her district.
READ: Neighbors Speak Out About Abandoned Kensington Warehouse, City Prepared To Take Action
