Joe Frazier, a legendary heavyweight champion who was known as Smokin’ Joe, loved nothing more than to fix his gym near Broad and Glenwood.
His North Philly gym became a historic boxing sanctuary, but in 2011 he lost the building after owing the city about $127,000 in unpaid taxes. Frazier died later that year of liver cancer at age 67.
Under the new owners, the historic gym became a discount furniture store. Then in 2022, a new company, Broad St Holdings LLC, acquired the gym for $850,000. However, the gym has failed three straight city inspections, from September 2023 to June 2024. And as a result, the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections recently declared the property “unsafe.”
If the gym continues to deteriorate, the city can step in and tear it down — despite its landmark status. But some of Frazier’s former boxers believes the gym can still bring life to a community that needs it.
— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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