Anna Camp: Work begins on restoration of North Philly’s historic building called ‘Boner 4ever’

Anna Camp Armpit

Work begins on restoration of North Philly’s historic ‘Boner 4ever’ building

A Marriott hotel with 138 guest rooms, restaurants and a rooftop bar will be the first phase of the project

‘Boner 4ever’ Human Version?

The Beury Building in North Philadelphia, best-known as the graffiti-tagged ‘Boner 4ever’ building, is at 3701 N. Broad St. near the intersection of Erie Avenue. The historic building and site of the former National Bank of North Philadelphia will finally be restored as a Marriott hotel, with a residential building planned next door at a later stage.

Nearly five years have passed since plans first took shape to revive North Philadelphia’s notorious “Boner 4ever” building, the 14-story Broad Street high-rise christened after the graffiti tags that prominently mark its north and south sides.

The long-vacant building was originally slated for redevelopment as a mixed-use property that would bring new affordable and market rate housing to the city’s Hunting Park and Nicetown-Tioga neighborhoods. Initial plans called for ample commercial space and a dedicated group of nonprofit organizations with a focus on integrated community health.

Over the last few years, lengthy project delays and the stalling effect of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in certain changes to the overall vision for the building and its neighboring property.

The historic structure will now become a boutique Marriott Hotel, since previous leasing plans for apartments inside the main structure were ultimately reconsidered and abandoned. The residential portion of the project will now be housed inside another building next to the high-rise on the north side of the property.

Shift Capital, the developer leading the charge on the restoration, announced last week that the first phase of the hotel project is now underway. The restored building will have 138 guest rooms, ground-level restaurants and a café, a rooftop bar and restaurant, a fitness center and meeting spaces.

The building’s decline coincided with years of disinvestment that have made Hunting Park and Nicetown-Tioga among Philadelphia’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The “Boner 4ever” and “Forever Boner” tags are the bold work of two different graffiti artists, “Boner” and “Forever,” who collaborated to give the Beury Building a place in Philadelphia’s urban lore well beyond its years of occupancy… More