July Advocacy Update

President's House Exhibits Replaced

Overnight on Tuesday, the National Park Service installed new interpretive exhibits at the President's House Site on Independence Mall following a series of federal court rulings that cleared the way for the changes. The new displays replace exhibits that centered on the lives of the nine people President George Washington enslaved in Philadelphia with a broader narrative that preservation advocates, historians, and stakeholders argue minimizes the realities of slavery and softens President Washington's legacy as an enslaver.

Yesterday, the Preservation Alliance joined Avenging the Ancestors Coalition at the President's House Site to protest the removal of the original exhibits and reaffirm our shared commitment to preserving and truthfully interpreting this nationally significant place.

We remain committed to telling the complete and honest story of the President's House Site. We will continue working alongside the President’s House / Slavery Memorial Alliance to advocate for truthful interpretation and ensure that the lives and stories of the nine people George Washington enslaved remain central to understanding our nation's founding.

Alliance Published in The Philadelphia Citizen

This month, the Philadelphia Citizen published a guest commentary by Hanna Stark, the Preservation Alliance's Director of Policy & Communications, responding to recent claims that Philadelphia's adaptive reuse zoning provisions constitute a "loophole."

The article explains that the policy was intentionally adopted by the Philadelphia City Council in 2019, following recommendations from the Mayor's Historic Preservation Task Force, to address the growing challenge of keeping historic buildings occupied and viable when their original use is no longer sustainable. Rather than creating an unintended exemption, the legislation established a carefully crafted preservation incentive that encourages the adaptive reuse of designated historic buildings.

The commentary reinforces the point that adaptive reuse is one of our most effective tools for ensuring that historic buildings continue to serve new generations. Policies that support thoughtful reinvestment in historic places are more important than ever.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly approved most of the FY 2026–27 state budget over the weekend. Our proposed technical improvements to Pennsylvania's Historic Preservation Tax Credit, including increasing the program's per-project cap to $1.5 million, were discussed throughout negotiations. They were ultimately not included because the tax code, the legislative vehicle to which Senate Republicans believe the language belongs, has not yet been enacted. The tax code remains outstanding as broader debates over issues such as skill games delay its consideration.

The good news is that our proposal remains very much alive. Legislative champions, including Senators Frank Farry and Nikil Saval, continue to work toward advancing the improvements, either as part of the Tax Code or as standalone legislation when the General Assembly returns to session this fall.

The Preservation Alliance and our statewide coalition remain optimistic about the proposal's prospects and will continue advocating for this important economic development tool, which spurs investment in historic buildings and communities across the Commonwealth. 

The Preservation Alliance is supporting University City Historical Society’s efforts to rehabilitate the historic University Avenue Bridge, a 1930 Art Deco drawbridge designed by renowned architect Paul Philippe Cret. Listed on both the National Register and Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, the bridge is an important piece of Philadelphia's engineering and architectural heritage, connecting University City and Grays Ferry and also serving as a gateway to the Schuylkill River Trail.

The bridge suffers from long-term neglect, with broken windows, deteriorating masonry, stolen decorative elements, graffiti, and debris accumulation, while the operators' houses have fallen into disrepair. The Preservation Alliance included the bridge as a "Place to Save" in the winter 2026 issue of Extant and was also the subject of a recent Inquirer article.

Without immediate intervention, the bridge's unique historic features risk permanent loss. We encourage you to sign the petition and help demonstrate public support for preserving this landmark, ahead of its centennial in 2030

Saucer Gets a New Mission

After years of vacancy, Philadelphia's iconic saucer at LOVE Park is beginning an exciting new chapter. Broad Street Brewing's beer garden opened on July 4 around the mid-century modern pavilion, marking the first phase of a larger adaptive reuse project that will transform the long-shuttered building into a year-round café, restaurant, and coffee bar in 2027.

The Preservation Alliance applauds this thoughtful reuse of one of Philadelphia's most distinctive modern landmarks. Designed by Roy F. Larson and completed in 1960, the pavilion was originally built as a visitor information center and is a remarkable example of Space Age civic architecture. During the redesign of LOVE Park, preservation advocates successfully urged the City to restore rather than demolish the building, and it was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 2025, based on a nomination sponsored by the Preservation Alliance.