Erected in 1888 and opened in 1893, the 344,000-square-foot building first served as a home office and terminal of the Reading Railroad. After over a century of struggling to remain open, then ultimately becoming vacant, it was first worked on in 1985. "The first phase was started then, but couldn't be completed because the city could not afford it," said Jones. "Ten years later, the Redevelopment Authority developed a financial stratagem to complete the project."
With construction beginning again in 1996, the building has since been converted into hotel suites for the Philadelphia Marriott, retail shops, a restaurant and the new entrance for the Pennsylvania Convention Center.