Brandishing a pile of old Market East planning studies, Mayor Cherelle Parker vowed Friday not to produce another master plan that ends up never being built out.
A new planning process that launched this week for the stagnant commercial corridor “will not result in what we see right here, plans that are collecting dust on the shelf, that have no buy-in from a fiscal perspective to make sure that they are implemented,” Parker said. “That is not what will happen on my watch.”
Instead, the new Market East Stakeholders Advisory Group will offer a series of short-, medium- and long-term solutions and recommendations for the economically struggling shopping district between City Hall and Old City, officials said.
Those will begin with “activations” of vacant lots along the road, with activities for the surge of visitors expected for next summer’s World Cup games and 250th anniversary celebrations, and eventually include a broader vision of a redeveloped Market East that will guide future public and private investments, such as the siting of new residential and commercial buildings.
Parker announced the long-awaited launch of the new process at an event held in the lobby of the Jefferson Tower at 1101 Market St., the former headquarters of Aramark and a central spot on the once-bustling retail strip.
She was joined at the podium by the members of the advisory group, including its leader Jerry Sweeney, the CEO of Brandywine Realty Trust, and Thomas Reid, chief legal officer and secretary at Comcast. In January, Comcast and the 76ers stunned Parker and many others by suddenly scuttling a controversial proposal for a new basketball arena that some had hoped would help revitalize the corridor, in favor of building a new arena in the South Philly stadium district.
The shadow of the arena proposal, which Parker lobbied hard for against fierce opposition from residents of Chinatown and other nearby neighborhoods, loomed over Friday’s announcement.
The mayor and the other speakers repeatedly promised that any new plan will be shaped by residents from around the city, not just the business leaders and city officials who make up much of the advisory group.
“I don’t want anyone leaving here on today saying that there is a plan that is baked, that is cooked, that is done, and it is a plan that will be shoved down the throats of Philadelphians,” she said. “That is not what this is. But what we have done is gathered together some of the best subject matter experts with knowledge, intimate knowledge of our great city and its history, and a team of people who represent the best that Philadelphia has to offer.”
Crafting a vision for others to build
The roughly 60-member advisory group has met once so far, this past Monday, behind closed doors, and on Friday the city launched a website where the public can submit ideas.
When asked, Parker declined to specify a timeline for the group’s work or a deadline for release of a final plan. Councilmember Mark Squilla, a member of the group, said “it’s going to be close to a yearlong process,” suggesting a goal of next fall.
Sweeney said the group’s role “is to listen, to learn, engage with each other and the community, understand the economic realities of today, and develop a clear vision of how Market East can once again become a significant contributor to the fabric of the city by restoring vibrancy, improving community connections and accelerating job growth.”
Its goals include connecting Market Street to Chinatown, the Gayborhood, and other neighborhoods to the north and south; suggesting road and infrastructure improvements; encouraging private investment; and suggesting modifications to public policy, such as zoning changes, he said.
“When we have a vision and we have a plan, it makes it easier for developers to then look at it,” Squilla said. “They like to see a plan of what’s expected, and when they see that, they could build that vision, and that’s what this plan is going to do.”
Public engagement will be key to making the process succeed, Squilla and others said. Hints of the challenge of creating a plan most people can live with have already surfaced, with preservationists and urbanists protesting the recent move by Comcast and the 76ers to tear down historic buildings they own on Market Street, and residents of Chinatown criticizing a plan to reopen a bus station on Filbert Street.
“Is everybody going to be happy with everything that they see and going on?” Squilla asked. “I think it’s great that we have so many people involved, because you can have different opinions from maybe stakeholders, property owners, developers, community residents, and that’s what’s going to make this plan even a better plan for Market East.”
Looking for state and federal aid
Market East has seen some private investment in recent years, mostly toward its western end close to City Hall.
That includes National Real Estate’s much-lauded mixed-use development between 11th and 12th streets; TF Cornerstone’s recent acquisition of the former Macy’s building, which it intends to convert to residential and other uses; and the rehabbed Fashion District mall, which initially struggled in the post-pandemic period but is reportedly doing better now.
Parker also pointed to some individual public projects aimed at sprucing up the area. The Philadelphia Parking Authority announced last week that it will reopen the former Greyhound station on Filbert Street as a temporary intercity bus terminal, and a $16 million overhaul of Market Street in Old City, just to the east of the main Market East area, is currently under way.
There are also vibrant areas just to the north and south, including in Chinatown and along 13th Street, which is bustling with restaurants, bars and boutiques.
However, many of Market East’s remaining historic retail buildings are vacant and foot traffic on the sidewalk is typically sparse. Developers and real estate experts have said it will likely take a substantial infusion of public subsidies or incentives to make housing and commercial construction proposals pencil out, and give developers confidence they can turn a profit from complex, time-consuming projects.
Parker acknowledged that need, saying she and Squilla had discussed the possibility of creating tax increment financing, or TIF, programs, which typically divert taxes on new construction to public improvements like road and streetscape work.
She also noted that the state has “much greater” resources from the city, and she named several state and federal legislators representing Philadelphia who she said could help lobby for government funding.
“Every state legislator who represents this region, they are waiting to see the results of what this collaborative process yields,” said Parker, who served as a state rep for 10 years. “Our governor, he’s committed to the city of Philadelphia and Market East. Those are good signs.”
An alphabet soup of members
The advisory group’s members are a Who’s Who of Philadelphia businesses, government and civic organization leaders, ranging alphabetically (by first name) from real estate maven and former councilmember Alan Domb to Zakary Pyzik of the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association.
Developers Carl Dranoff, Daniel Killinger of National Real Estate, Jake Elghanayan of TF Cornerstone, Parkway Corp.’s Robert Zuritsky and Colin Jones of the Goldenberg Group (owner of the “Disney Hole” property) were listed on placards posted at the press conference, as were Angela Val of Visit Philadelphia, Kathryn Ott Lovell of the Philadelphia Visitor Center, and leaders of several chambers of commerce.
Members from the public sector include leaders of SEPTA, PHDC, PIDC, DRPA, the police department and other city offices, among them Planning Director Jessie Lawrence, who is overseeing the planning effort.
Several community group leaders are part of the discussions, including John Chin of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, who staunchly opposed the old arena plan over concerns that it could drive out existing businesses and cause gentrification.
Chin said Friday that he liked the inclusiveness of the new planning process, as Parker described it. “I would hope there’s more weight for this community around Market East and less weight for the city as a whole, but it’s good to hear from everybody,” he said.
At the same time, he said he was not happy about the expected reopening of the Filbert Street bus station, despite the city’s promises to forbid buses from driving through the neighborhood.
“It’s the wrong spot. It’s had a negative impact on Chinatown,” Chin said, citing the neighborhood’s narrow streets and the pollution spewed by large passenger buses. “It’s important that they find a permanent location for the bus station that makes sense for the city overall. As Chinatown is trying to connect to Market Street and vice versa, I think that bus station is a barrier to that connection.”