Kensington Abandoplexes to be Designated as Historic?

Quaker City Dye Works (NakedPhilly)

An article on HiddenCity this week highlights a move to cover the “Workshop of the World” factories heavily concentrated in Kensington for historic preservation.

The consequences of such a move places even greater burdens on property owners to care and maintain the buildings, and it also creates a new obstacle to property squatters who own some of the properties and are letting them decay:  historic designation on your parcel makes it impossible to demolish the building.  Or more importantly: selling the property to a buyer who would want to demolish it.

Apparently this move will do nothing to prevent further decay of any of the Kensington factories left standing, but may make it marginally easier for interested parties to seek funding for redevelopment.   It will be interesting to see whether or not this will alleviate the vacancy of any of these properties.