When Albert Kahn finished leaving his mark on Detroit, he set his sights on Philadelphia. Kahn designed The Packard Motor Car Building in 1910, a lasting monument to the auto industry on North Broad. The Packard Motor Car Building, serving as both as show room and factory for Packard Motors, came at the perfect time for the city and national economy. The auto boom was on, and the Packard Motor Car Building catapulted Philadelphia into the latter half of the industrial revolution. Yet not even the building’s concrete and steel reinforced frame could protect Packard from the Great Depression. Packard struggled along with the rest of the country, and eventually abandoned its iconic post in Philadelphia.
When President Roosevelt’s New Deal restarted the U.S. economy in the mid 1930s, the Packard Motor Building informally became known as the Press Building. For the next 40 years, the building was passed around by news publications, housing the Philadelphia Record and The Evening Bulletin. Sadly, these publications went out of business and the building endured periods of vacancy as the ghosts of the Great Depression lingered on North Broad Street. In 1980, after a brief restoration, the Packard Motor Car Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places and reclaimed its rightful designation in Philadelphia’s industrial and architectural history.
During the late 1980s the building was transformed into condos. When Reinhold Residential inherited the space in 2004, they reinvigorated and reimagined Kahn’s vision. With a grand two-story lobby, terracotta trim, and intricate woodwork, the Packard Motor Car Building defines Broad Street living. And that’s just the outside. In addition to its ideal Center City location, the building’s apartments come with spacious kitchens featuring stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. The bathrooms include ceramic tile floors and large baths. Just as importantly, Packard has a complimentary fitness center, a parking garage, and conference centers with free Wi-Fi. Located in one of Philadelphia’s most exciting areas, the Packard Motor Car Building offers a unique opportunity to experience living history.d.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0].appendChild(s);