Penn Center is the heart of Philadelphia's Central Business District. It derives its name from the nearly five million square foot office and retail complex that helped transform it from a gritty industrial and low-rent commercial district into the centerpiece of Philadelphia's business district in the late 20th century. It is located between 15th and 19th Streets, east to west and from John F. Kennedy Boulevard to Market Street, north to south. ...
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Penn Center is the heart of Philadelphia's Central Business District. It derives its name from the nearly five million square foot office and retail complex that helped transform it from a gritty industrial and low-rent commercial district into the centerpiece of Philadelphia's business district in the late 20th century. It is located between 15th and 19th Streets, east to west and from John F. Kennedy Boulevard to Market Street, north to south. It is credited with bringing Philadelphia into the era of modern office buildings.
In 1881, the Pennsylvania Railroad brought passenger service into the center of the city, and constructed the first Broad Street Station just west of City Hall. The sea of iron pillars holding up the PRR's elevated trackbed was replaced in the 1890s by a 10-block stone viaduct to the Schuylkill River. This created a block-wide barrier known as The Chinese Wall, cutting the Western portion of the city in half and discouraging development there.
During this time,...
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