SHIFT Capital and The Wankawala Organization have started the preliminary construction phase at 3701 North Broad Street to transform the legendary Beury Building into an upscale boutique hotel with 138 guest rooms, ground-level restaurants and café, a rooftop bar and restaurant, a fitness center, and meeting spaces.
During this initial phase, teams will work to clean out and repair the almost century-old structure to prepare it for full construction and development, expected to take place later this year.
“This initial phase at the Beury turns a new page for the landmark building, which has sat vacant for four decades,” said Brian Murray, CEO of SHIFT Capital. “The new hotel not only breathes life into a Philly icon but also creates economic opportunity for local residents and businesses.”
Mihir Wankawala, Managing Member of The Wankawala Organization stated, “We are excited to partner with SHIFT Capital on this venture and to see the history and beauty of the historic Beury Building restored. We look forward to working with the local community to identify individuals who are seeking an exciting and rewarding career in hospitality.”
SHIFT and The Wankawala Organization have committed to certain workforce inclusionary goals for temporary construction jobs and minority-owned business contracting during the construction phase of the project. The team has set goals to employ a 35% diverse construction workforce with half of the workers coming from the Philadelphia area.
“We are taking an active, intentional local approach to hiring and bolstering our construction team,” said Alex Robles, Developer-in-Residence at SHIFT. “We are connecting with neighborhood and Philly-area residents to help build their skills and sharpen their tool belts, and to prepare the next generation of trade professionals.”
Working with community organizations is critical to bringing jobs to the neighborhood. The team is collaborating with:
The Broad, Germantown, Erie Collaborative–a coalition committed to the goal of ensuring the neighborhoods at and immediately around the intersection of Broad, Germantown, and Erie Avenues in North Philadelphia become healthy neighborhoods where current residents can prosper and thrive.
NWON Opportunities, a fully integrative workforce development agency, to hire local residents.
The Construction Apprenticeship Preparatory Program, during the later phases of construction, to give apprentices the opportunity to gain experience on the Hotel and create pathways to long-term careers in the construction industry.
The first phase of construction at the hotel is slated to be completed by Summer 2022 with phase two expected to start soon after.
