Barclay Hotel (Philadelphia)
| Barclay Hotel - Barclay Condominiums | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Address | 237 S. 18th Street Pennsylvania, PA 19103 |
| Opening | 1929 |
| Closed | 1994 |
| Owner | Allan Domb Real Estate |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | John McShain |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Barclay Hotel was located at 237 S. 18th St. in Philadelphia, PA. Once the most famous hotel in the city and owned by John McShain (1898–1989), it has since been converted to condominiums. The hotel opened in October 1929 and closed in 1994 as construction on the Barclay Condominiums began.[1]
The hotel was the site in 1980 of the FBI's Abscam sting operation, which exposed corruption in government. Federal agents posing as Arab sheikhs rented a suite here, where they solicited the help of local, state and federal officials.[2]
The hotel was first put up for sale in 1989 for approximately $30 million. In April 1992, owner Barclay Hotel Associates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The property was purchased by Princeton developer Peter Marks for $4.3 million on Monday, October 31, 1994. The property remained open as a hotel throughout its conversion to condominiums.[3] Today, Barclay Condominiums contains 150 units. Unit sizes range from 728 to 5,325 square feet. The building is pet-friendly.[4]
The Barclay Condominiums also contains a restaurant on the first floor, Barclay Prime. The restaurant describes itself as a "luxury boutique steakhouse."[5]
Literary references
The narrator of Nicholson Baker's novel The Fermata first discovers his ability to "freeze time" while staying at the Barclay Hotel as a child.
References
- ^ Belden, Tom. "Barclay Will Make Transition To Condos The Luxury Hotel Was Sold For $4.3 Million. Its Owner Intends To Convert It "In A First-class Way."". articles.philly.com. Philadelphia Media Network (Digital) LLC. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ^ "Owner Puts The Barclay Up For Sale", May 20, 1989, By Susan Warner, philly.com
- ^ Belden, Tom. "Barclay Will Make Transition To Condos The Luxury Hotel Was Sold For $4.3 Million. Its Owner Intends To Convert It "In A First-class Way."". articles.philly.com. Philadelphia Media Network (Digital) LLC. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "The Barclay Condominiums". www.centercitycondos.com. BHH Affiliates, LLC. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ^ "Restaurant Info". www.barclayprime.com. STARR Restaurants. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
External links
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