Divine Lorraine Will be Residential

Philly.com

Change.org petitions have become the white noise of armchair activists, so it's no surprise that Eric Blumenfeld was taken back when Philly.com asked him about Caryn Kunkle's online petition to convert his Divine Lorraine into a modern art space. 

In fact what he sayed was, "I'm shocked this is news." What might be more shocking is that Eric Blumenfeld was even aware of the petition. But Blumenfeld wasn't just familiar with the petition, but Kunkle herself. He offered her space inside the former Metropolitan Opera House, another landmark he's redeveloping. She declined, opting instead to seek twelve stories of free space in a government seized Divine Lorraine.

Her knowledge of economics may be as dim as her understanding of property law, suggesting on her petition, "Rather than condos which will be impossible to make profit from due to the crippling costs of repair..." 

Using profit as part of the argument is irrelevant. It's obvious Kunkle sees the space as a non-profit, perhaps even government owned public space. However, even if the city did take the petition seriously, Philly.com pointed out she has no business model.

She also ignored the fact, or was perhaps unaware, that Blumenfeld plans to start renovations at the Divine Lorraine this year in conjunction with other North Broad improvements that include restoring the Metropolitan Opera House.

Rather than condos which will be impossible to make profit from due to the crippling costs of repairing
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/home_and_design/Despite-petition-to-turn-into-musuem-Divine-Lorraine-will-go-on-as-originally-planned.html#lFCTgAPzdV28sJCT.9

Rather than condos which will be impossible to make profit from due to the crippling costs of repairing
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/home_and_design/Despite-petition-to-turn-into-musuem-Divine-Lorraine-will-go-on-as-originally-planned.html#lFCTgAPzdV28sJCT.99

Rather than condos which will be impossible to make profit from due to the crippling costs of repairing
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/home_and_design/Despite-petition-to-turn-into-musuem-Divine-Lorraine-will-go-on-as-originally-planned.html#lFCTgAPzdV28sJCT.99

Rather than condos which will be impossible to make profit from due to the crippling costs of repairing
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/home_and_design/Despite-petition-to-turn-into-musuem-Divine-Lorraine-will-go-on-as-originally-planned.html#lFCTgAPzdV28sJCT.99