Macy’s closure, announced earlier in 2025, marked the end of an era for the historic Wanamaker Building in Center City Philadelphia. For this structure, this year marked challenge and opportunity.
Built in 1911 on 13th and Market streets, the building was the flagship location for the original Wanamaker Department Store. Key historic features, including the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ and the bronze eagle sculpture, are protected by the Philadelphia Historical Commission.
During the holiday season, the Wanamaker Building took on renewed appreciation for its annual holiday traditions, such as the Christmas Light Show and Dickens Village, both staples of the Philadelphia holiday season since 1956.
After Macy’s closed, the public expressed concerns that the decades-old programming would be permanently discontinued. However, a fundraising campaign ensured the attractions could return for the 2025 holiday season.
January 2025
Macy’s announced it would close its doors in March. The retailer had occupied the first three floors of the building since 2006. Earlier this year, city officials proposed a plan to build a Sixers arena in Center City, stating that Wanamaker’s future would be part of a “revival and rebirth of East Market Street.”
Following news of the closure, preservationists rushed to confirm that protected artifacts in the building would be protected regardless of the building’s future redevelopment. Before the building closed to the public, crowds gathered to hear the majestic Wanamaker Grant Court Organ in concert.
June 2025
TF Cornerstone, which owned the portion of the building that Macy’s occupied, acquired the remaining nine floors of the structure. It proposed plans for a 1.4-million-square-foot mixed-use complex featuring more than 600 apartments, first‑floor retail, and two rooftop decks.
July 2025
Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections approved zoning permits for the site in July. At the time, developers said they planned to remove the ninth-story courtyard to allow light to shine through the skylight that existed before the building’s 1990 renovation.
Fall 2025
Opera Philadelphia briefly occupied the space in the fall, hosting silent-horror-movie viewing parties accompanied by live organ music. As the holiday season drew near, the Philadelphia Visitor Center began raising money to ensure the Christmas Light Show and Dickens Village would continue for at least the 2025 holiday season.
December 2025
With funds secured from more than 1,000 donors, the light show and Dickens Village returned. The Wanamaker Building also hosted dozens of vendors as an extension of the Christmas Village in Philadelphia.
Looking Ahead to 2026
According to PhillyVoice, construction on the mixed-use development is tentatively scheduled to start in 2026 and extend through 2027. As a condition of the city of Philadelphia’s approval of TF Cornerstone’s zoning permits, construction must begin on the project within three years, and developers must obtain additional approvals from the city due to the building’s historic features.
During this time, the holiday programming will take a two-year hiatus, but work to safeguard the traditions’ long-term stability is reported to be underway.