It was then that I built the first Sigma D I. Primitive by todays standards the console had just 12 inputs that fed a then state of the art 8 track tape machine. “This is the last one standing to represent that era,” Gallagher said.In 1967, before stock consoles and turn key studios, I and some believers, wire by wire, component by component built Sigmas first studio. Meanwhile, developer Carl Dranoff is now redeveloping the former Philadelphia International Records headquarters on South Broad Street into the ultra-luxury Arthaus condo tower. Other properties like Virtue Studios and Cameo Parkway, both also used by Philadelphia International Records have already been lost to redevelopment. Jim Gallagher, a former ten-year Sigma employee and adjunct professor of music technology at Rowan University, argued that Sigma marks the last of a generation of musical landmarks. Located only a block from the Philadelphia Convention Center near Chinatown and other attractions, the building could easily fit into tourists’ itineraries, Byers and others said. “There really needs to be an honest understanding with the city and the amount of revenue that’s being left at the table by not recognizing the decades upon decades of American Black music.” “The world has looked at Philadelphia’s phenomenon when it comes to music for decades,” he said. At the same time, we’re committed to developing this particular site.” “They are attempting to see what can be done to accommodate your condition. “This is an especially important project to my client,” the lawyer told the Commission. Tinari said his client doesn’t yet have designs for the site, but the owner is working on one that would work within the preservation rules. The Historical Commission does not have jurisdiction over zoning approval and it does not preclude future uses or redevelopment. “That would have to be revised,” Tinari said. According to permits filed with the city in 2018, the developer had planned to remake the site into a 10-story building with 26 dwellings and a roof deck. Lawyer Nino Tinari, who represented the building’s owner at Friday’s hearing, said his client is willing to explore options for developing the site within the rules of the designation. The designation means that the building’s owner cannot tear down or significantly alter the structure without proving a special hardship and obtaining permission from the city’s Historical Commission. WHYY thanks our sponsors - become a WHYY sponsor “One of the reasons we don’t have museums or cultural spaces, like Nashville or Memphis, that can speak to that history is we have more than 100 years of anti-Blackness that exists within our tourism and hospitality institutions,” Smith said. Tayyib Smith, an entrepreneur who has recently set his sights on revitalizing 52nd Street’s Black business corridor, said he sees the designation as the first step to acknowledging Black Philadelphians’ contributions to music. The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, along with partners from Breweytown Beats and the nonprofit Philly Sound Archive, nominated the building for inclusion in the register. Huge names recorded there including Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, and David Bowie. The birthplace of Philadelphia International Records - founded by Kenney Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell - the diminutive brick building carries a legacy of more than 200 gold and platinum records. The Philadelphia Historical Commission voted unanimously on Friday to designate the former recording studio at 210-212 N.

The Sigma Studios building - birthplace of the famous “ Philly Sound” - has won a spot on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, protecting the beloved cultural landmark from demolition.

Sigma sound studio