Neighbors worry upscale pool hall bringing trouble with capital “T”

An upscale pool hall could be moving into Center City Philadelphia. Condo owners near the building aren’t exactly happy about the plan.

The old Beneficial Bank Building at 12th and Chestnut has been shuttered for the past decade.  A developer wants to turn it into an upscale billiards parlor including a bar on the roof.  Councilman Frank DiCicco says he’s written a bill to help address neighbors concerns that the pool hall will turn into a club.

“I understand their concerns, their concerns is that if the plan that is being proposed fails, they don’t want it to become a nightclub where you are going to have be public drinking and dancing and all that stuff,” said DiCicco. “I think there’s enough safeguards in the legislation to prevent that from happening and I’m willing to work with the neighbors.”

The councilman says the development will cost three to four million dollars and will put a building back in operation in what he currently says is a “dead zone” in the neighborhood.

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