Revitalizing North Broad Street
The Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972, returned to use as a live music venue on December 3, 2018 with a sold-out show by Bob Dylan. When the Met first opened on North Broad Street in 1908 it was one of the largest theaters of its kind. It served as an opera house through 1934 and remained in use as a movie theater, ballroom, sports venue, and a church. The Met had fallen into serious disrepair in recent years and was unused and vacant from 1988 until 1995 when it was purchased for use as the Holy Ghost Headquarters Revival Center. The $56 million renovation dramatically refurbished the 3,400 seat historic showplace and will spur further development along the city’s central corridor.
Project Team:
Developer: EBRM; Tenant: Live Nation; Construction Manager: Domus; Structural Engineer: David Chou & Associates; MEP Engineer: Concord Engineering Group; Historic Consultant: Powers & Company; Photography: Whitney Cox, Hugh Loomis, Live Nation
The Met’s restoration is stunning, opulent in every way. It’s easily the most beautiful theater in the region, and its acoustics are great. It’s likely to have years of great shows ahead. John Moser, The Morning Call, Photo Live Nation
