However developer Eric Blumenfeld sees it as the centerpiece of a campus for four city high schools and a vibrant surrounding community.
"How fun would that be that we take something that's so beat up, down and out and we turn it around and it becomes something about hope," he said.
Blumenfeld and other investors owned the hotel from 2003 until 2006, but sold it at a nearly $5 million profit without even developing it.
Since then, Blumenfeld purchased property around the hotel. He's also met with the principals of four area high schools that are currently housed in sub-par buildings.
Masterman, Ben Franklin, Franklin Learning Center and Parkway Center City High are all schools he hopes will share his vision.
Angelina Williams is president of Masterman's Home and School Association. She says the school is overcrowded, and while she's intrigued by Blumenfeld's idea, she has a lot of questions.
"For me, it's what are we truly going to get? What type of facilities are we going to have? How much space is going to be allocated per child to make sure that we're not re-creating the situation that we have here," she said.
Sharing Blumenfeld's vision is Caryn Kunkle, founder of the Philadelphia Salon. She sees the hotel building as a home for Philadelphia's art community, housing a museum and areas where artists, students and local residents could interact.
"Getting the Philadelphia public high schools back on track incorporating the creative arts is one of my main goals," said Kunkle.
Any development of the building is a ways off but as for the school district, they say they're listening to ideas, but aren't ready to comment publicly.
