Setting the Stage for Center City’s Success
As Philadelphia transitions from a vibrant summer into fall, the Center City District Foundation (CCDF) reflects on a season of remarkable community impact. Thanks to generous donor support, Center City came alive with programming that reached thousands of residents and visitors, transforming downtown into a place where people truly live, play, and belong.
Summer highlights included free concerts ranging from orchestral performances to jazz ensembles that drew families and workers for lunchtime and after-work entertainment. Pop-up fitness classes converted green spaces into community wellness hubs, while children’s programming like Parkway Pals in Sister Cities Park provided free educational activities. Enhanced maintenance efforts kept parks pristine throughout the busy season.
An equally ambitious fall lineup is already underway. Water Orchestra is transforming Dilworth Park’s fountain into an interactive musical instrument daily through October 3. Open Streets: West Walnut is back on Sundays through October 12, creating nearly seven car-free blocks for shopping, dining, and activities while supporting local businesses.
These programs represent more than entertainment—they’re investments in a downtown that works for everyone, where creativity flourishes and every visitor feels welcome.
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When you support CCDF, your tax-deductible gift directly supports initiatives year-round that ensure Center City remains a clean, active, and welcoming destination for residents, workers, and visitors alike.
Playtime in the fountain at Sister Cities Park
From our President
Seizing the Moment for Market East
Market East has been on my mind for more than 15 years. As a young-ish project manager at PIDC, I assisted the Nutter administration with the 2009 Market East plan, which aimed to reestablish the eight city blocks between Independence Mall and City Hall as Philadelphia’s Main Street. Today, as the child with whom I was heavily pregnant during that planning process learns to drive, I’m struck by how little has materially changed along Market East.
The most notable transformation has been National Real Estate Development’s East Market project, a decade-long effort that has fully transformed an entire city block with a dense mix of diverse uses thoughtfully oriented around a human scale public realm, a blueprint worth emulating. The Fashion District’s repositioning brought new retail concepts and programming, while Brickstone Realty’s steadfast stewardship of the Lit Brothers Building created a wonderful corporate headquarters for Five Below. Yet the subsequent pandemic, as well as arena uncertainty, worked against this progress, and the corridor still struggles to achieve the vitality envisioned in 2009.
That said, despite this sobering reality, I’ve never been more optimistic about Market East’s potential than I am today. The convergence of private investment, institutional commitment, public imagination, and the focus of Mayor Parker’s administration creates a window of opportunity that we must seize.
A Moment of Opportunity
Prema Katari Gupta President & CEO
Center City District
New investments along the corridor represent calculated bets on Market East’s potential by entities with myriad choices about where to allocate capital. The Wanamaker Building has new ownership committed to renewing its grandeur while honoring its civic prominence. TF Cornerstone, a real estate development company with the boldness and tenacity to reshape the Long Island City waterfront, has teamed up with local office-to-residential conversion expert Alterra Property Group to execute its redevelopment in the wake of Macy’s closure. Additionally, Comcast and Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment, the ownership of the 76ers, honored their commitment to Mayor Parker and Market East. They have invested nearly $60 million in strategic land assemblages between 9th and 11th streets and have the opportunity to build at the appropriate scale for the corridor.
Market East possesses extraordinary, yet untapped, development potential. Despite SEPTA’s ongoing funding crisis, the corridor sits atop world-class
transit accessibility, with 1 million people in the region with a one-seat ride to Market East. When we concentrate housing, jobs, and services around Market East’s exceptional transit infrastructure, including SEPTA’s Regional Rail and MarketFrankford Line, and PATCO, we reduce congestion and car dependency while reinforcing the use of public transportation and improving air quality.
Accordingly, developing high-density mixed-use buildings in Market East is imperative. High-density mixed-use buildings also generate the demand needed to support the neighborhood-serving retail, restaurants, and services that can animate Market East’s sidewalks.
Fortunately, the corridor’s development capacity is impressive. The permissive CMX-5 zoning allows several million square feet of maximum buildable area under current zoning. Put another way, the zoning in place could accommodate thousands of new apartments, a major hotel, and new retail and office space.
Yet walk along Market Street today and you’ll encounter the same surface parking lots that have sat undeveloped for decades. These vacant lots, combined with quality-of-life challenges including visible homelessness and a limited police presence, have upheld a negative image, despite the corridor’s proximity to major regional assets like Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Chinatown, and Reading Terminal Market.
The corridor also faces economic challenges. High interest rates and construction costs, combined with elevated operating expenses in an area where safety and cleanliness concerns affect rental rates, create a situation where it costs more to build and operate new housing and commercial space than developers can charge in rent.
Breaking this cycle requires strategic intervention that addresses both the economic fundamentals and the perception challenges simultaneously. According to developer Josh Rosenbloom and others, a set of strategic incentives and investments, perhaps not unlike what Governor Shapiro unveiled for downtown Pittsburgh in October 2024, could bridge the gap between development costs and market rents to jumpstart the process, making development feasible while ensuring public benefits like more housing, revitalized public spaces, and improved safety and affordability.
An enhanced Market Street real estate tax abatement program – perhaps even spanning 6th Street to 30th Street, including both Market East and the office district – could meaningfully reduce operating costs for development. It’s worth noting here that researcher Kevin Gillen did a study for the Building Industry Association that found that for every dollar of abated property taxes, projects were bringing in $2 from sales, wage, business, and real estate transfer taxes associated with the construction and subsequent management of the building. Keystone Opportunity Zone designation, employed to accelerate development in University City and the Navy Yard, could reduce tenant occupancy costs, effectively increasing their capacity to pay rents that enable high quality development.
At the federal level, Census Tract 5, which covers nearly the entire East Market corridor from 7th Street to Broad Street, appears eligible for Qualified Opportunity Zone designation under the 2020 ACS dataset, pending gubernatorial action, which would provide significant incentives for investors. Along with RACP grants and perhaps a TIF district to support public realm improvements, a package of incentives and investments could unlock the area’s development potential.
No Single Anchor Solution
One lesson from decades of urban planning is clear: there is no single anchor solution for Market East. No single development, however splashy, will ever solve the challenges and complexities of this corridor, which span two-thirds of a mile. Instead, we must focus on what makes Center City exceptional: its walkability and its human scale.
For the third consecutive year, USA Today ’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards named Philadelphia the nation’s most walkable city to visit. Today’s Center City builds on the foundation left to us by William Penn and Thomas Holme’s 343-year-old plan, with dense, mixed-use development that concentrates residential high-rises, office towers, restaurants, shops, cultural venues, and services within a compact footprint where most daily needs can be met on foot.
Market East currently lacks many of these walkability ingredients. Too many blank walls, vacant storefronts, and surface parking lots interrupt the pedestrian experience. At the same time, the expansive roadway prioritizes vehicular movement at the expense of pedestrian comfort and safety. Market Street spans 100 feet from building to building with 50 feet devoted to a five-lane roadway, creating minimal separation between high-volume bus traffic and sidewalks. Market East needs continuous, varied, human-scale activity at street level. High-density mixed-use buildings can create utility and interest for pedestrians throughout the day and evening.
Building Long-term Momentum with Short-term Interventions
The festivities of 2026, including the semiquincentennial celebration, promise to bring swells of visitors walking between Independence Mall and Lemon Hill via Market East, City Hall (and Dilworth Park) and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Brickstone Realty, owner of the Lit Brothers Building, has rolled out the welcome mat; their gracious planters, crisp awnings, and charming window displays set exactly the right tone for visitors. Given the time horizon required for transformative changes to Market East, implementing strategic short-term improvements is essential for Philadelphia to capitalize on increased foot traffic and create millions of positive first impressions that could catalyze lasting economic momentum.
Center City District has launched a short-term improvement program targeting 2026. Thanks to the support of Mayor Parker and Councilmember Squilla, our streetscape improvement program will refurbish at-grade transit stops, upgrade street amenities including planters, and replace aging street trees. We will commission window art that transforms vacant storefronts, while testing a pop-up retail program along Market East in partnership with Meantime, a Philadelphia nonprofit that connects local businesses with underutilized space.
These initiatives aren’t just cosmetic improvements. They’re proof-of-concept demonstrations that Market East can support the kind of vibrant street life that makes great urban places. By demonstrating a commitment to creating a high-quality public realm, these improvements signal that Market East is a priority for investing, visiting, and living.
Public safety remains a foundational concern. We understand that public safety is a prerequisite for any future physical or perceptual improvements in Market East. The staff of hotels, stores, and hospitals deserve to go about their day without worrying about their personal safety. Given citywide police staffing shortages, expansion of CCD bike patrols could provide a short-term solution to security concerns.
The Path Forward
The corridor connecting Independence Mall to City Hall should be one of our country’s great walks. Public discourse over the past few years demonstrates that Philadelphians are eager for a brighter future for Market East. With the right combination of public leadership, private investment, and tactical interventions, we can make that vision reality.
The moment is now. Let’s seize it.
Fall Fun at CCD Parks
Dilworth Park
Water Orchestra in partnership with The Philadelphia Orchestra
Daily, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Through October 3
Center City Fit: Zumba presented by Rothman Orthopaedics
Tuesdays, 6 – 7 p.m.
Through October 7
Philadelphia Marketplace
Fridays & Saturdays, 12 – 6 p.m. Through September 27
Made in Philadelphia Fall Market
Friday & Saturday, 12 – 8 p.m.
Sunday, 12 – 6 p.m.
October 10, 11 & 12
Maze Days on the Greenfield Lawn
Daily, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
October 15 – 31
Sister Cities Park
Storytime with the Free Library of Philadelphia Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.
Through October 7
Family Saturdays Saturdays, 11 a.m.
• September 13: Boat building with Pop Up Play
• September 20: Interactive storytime with Thembi Palmer
• September 27: Peter and the Wolf with the School of Philadelphia Ballet
• October 4: KidsFest with DesignPhiladelphia Festival
• October 11: Trick-or-treat scavenger hunt
For details on all events, visit ccdparks.org
Host your event or promote your brand at a CCD park!
For information, contact rentals@centercityphila.org
Maze Days at Dilworth Park
Join our team!
For information, visit centercityphila.org/jobs
Baby revived by park security
Dilworth Park site manager honored for her life-saving response to a medical emergency
On June 25, a park visitor ran up to Site Manager Khadijah Diggins reporting that a baby was unresponsive. Diggins immediately directed park security to call 911 before rushing to the location. She began CPR, resuscitating the baby and keeping her stable until medics arrived to transport her to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Diggins, who has been with Center City District for over a year, “exemplified calm leadership and dedication under pressure — an outstanding reminder of the impact our team can make in the community,” said John Crichton, CCD senior manager of public safety.
“She showed exactly what it means to be a leader in the moment. Her quick thinking and professionalism made all the difference that day, and I couldn’t be more proud of her,” he added.
Employee spotlights
Meet Matthew Russell and Xavier Berrocal Mana, CCD community service representatives
CCD’s team of community service representatives (CSRs) walk Center City’s sidewalks seven days a week and are trained to provide directions, administer first aid, and answer questions of all kinds.
CSR Matthew Russell says his favorite time of year in Center City is when the downtown is decorated during the holiday season in November and December. A self-described “tech guy” with a bachelor’s degree in information technology, he says his work at CCD has expanded his knowledge of Philadelphia’s historic locations that he shares with Center City visitors as well as his own friends and family.
CSR Xavier Berrocal Mana says he most enjoys being able to help people, particularly when he can communicate with visitors in their native tongue. His top Center City to-do list includes shopping at Buffalo Exchange and the Fashion District, getting a slice of cheesecake at Bieler’s Bakery in the Reading Terminal Market, and dining at his favorite restaurant, A Taste of Spain near Rittenhouse Square. Read more about Matt and Xavier on our blog: centercityphila.org/blog
Shop, stroll, socialize: “Best of Philly” Open Streets is back
CCD’s Sunday street closure program in Midtown Village and on Rittenhouse Row recently received a “Best of Philly” award from Philadelphia magazine as a “thing that needs to be permanent.” Open Streets celebrates its first anniversary by returning to Rittenhouse Row on Sundays from September 7 through October 12. Open Streets: West Walnut hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Walnut Street from 15th to 19th and on 18th Street from Chestnut to Locust. More at centercityphila.org/openstreets
See them? Thank them.
This summer, we launched a public awareness campaign on Center City bus shelters to call attention to CCD’s dedicated on-street teams. The ads feature members of the community service representative team and the cleaning staff who spend their days making Center City more welcoming and attractive for everyone. Learn about their essential work at centercityphila.org/ccdservices
What’s the buzz? Pollinators are popping
After a successful pilot at Sister Cities Park, CCD’s horticulture staff is transforming more planting beds at Sister Cities and Dilworth Park into native pollinator gardens to create yearround havens for birds, butterflies, bees and other animals. Thousands of flowering plants and grasses will help provide food and shelter for migratory and native birds while requiring less water and upkeep than non-native ornamentals.
New kitchen facilities, new food and beverage partner at Dilworth Park
A new container kitchen is coming to Dilworth Park with upgraded equipment and more space to provide visitors with a greater variety of menu options. Additionally, at the conclusion of a request for proposals (RFP) process this spring, Center City-based Aramark was chosen as CCD’s new food and beverage partner at Dilworth Park and Sister Cities Park.
Conduct yourself: Water Orchestra at Dilworth Park
Learn more about the park and its amenities at: dilworthpark.org
Center City District and The Philadelphia Orchestra are partnering on a groundbreaking interactive art installation at Dilworth Park’s fountain. Water Orchestra reimagines the park fountain as a playful, responsive musical instrument, activated in real-time by the gestures of anyone who steps onto the conductor’s podium. Channel your inner maestro 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily from September 5 through October 3. More at centercityphila.org/waterorch.
Center City News
Counting down to FIFA
A countdown clock for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was unveiled at Dilworth Park in June. The clock marks the time remaining until the tournament begins on June 11, 2026. It also features interactive elements like photo opportunities and QR codes for more information. Philadelphia is hosting eight matches at Lincoln Financial Field next June and July.
We’re no. 1 — again!
For the third year in a row, Philadelphia was named the Most Walkable City in the U.S. by USA Today ’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. A panel of experts from USA Today and 10Best.com nominated Philadelphia, and readers nationwide selected us for the top spot, outstepping cities including Boston, Chicago, and New York.
19 new retailers in Center City
Center City’s retail scene is heating up with the addition of 19 new retailers this summer alone, including the highly anticipated arrivals of Abercrombie & Fitch and Veronica Beard, as well as a new restaurant in the Kimmel Center and the return of Stephen Starr’s Café Click to the Comcast Center Plaza.
All-Star party at Dilworth Park
The MLB All-Star Game is coming to Philadelphia in 2026, and the official kickoff was held July 18 at Dilworth Park. Thousands of Phillies fans attended the free event, called “Philadelphia’s 2026 All-Star Declaration,” with performances by The Roots, appearances by Phillies legends, and the unveiling of the 2026 All-Star Game logo featuring the Liberty Bell.
Mini art in Sister Cities Park
Learn more about the artist at: fabiolita.com
The addition of an art vending machine in the Dilworth Park Café proved so popular that another was installed inside the Sister Cities Café. The machines feature mini prints by Philadelphia-based artist Fabiola Lara, whose illustrations have appeared in The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times Now, you can buy her work in Center City for just four quarters.
Reports & Research
Discover the
and insights from the CCD team
Annual Report 2025
New this year, CCD released an Annual Report as a companion piece to State of Center City to summarize our organization’s mission, vision, and impact. The report provides an overview of CCD’s operations and highlights our accomplishments in place management, maintenance and investment in capital projects since 1997. In addition, the report breaks down CCD’s budget details, showing our various sources of funding how the money is allocated.
Visit centercityphila.org/annualreport for more.
Reclaiming Alleys
CCD’s urban design and planning team conducted a yearlong examination of Center City’s alleys, a 2.5-mile network of longdisregarded and often unpleasant spaces on the downtown grid. The resulting report — produced as an interactive digital StoryMap and a downloadable PDF — looks at the history of alleys, frames the problems with our alley network that have persisted for decades, and outlines steps to reclaim these spaces and improve the visual landscape. Some solutions are easily achievable and are already underway.
Visit centercityphila.org/alleys for more.
We want to hear from you
Each year, CCD asks a diverse cross-section of Center City workers, residents and visitors about their experiences and perceptions of the downtown and about our organization’s work. CCD on-street staff consists of sidewalk cleaners, a graffiti removal team, community ambassadors, a bike safety patrol, park attendants and a homeless outreach team. We also manage capital projects, streetscape improvements, and four parks as well as produce events year-round in CCD parks, retail corridors, and the office district.
Complete the five-minute survey and you’ll be entered for a chance to win $250 in restaurant gift cards. Five survey respondents will be chosen at random.
Behind
the scenes at UArts
Central Philadelphia Development Corporation (CPDC) members took an exclusive tour in August of the former University of the Arts buildings recently purchased by Scout Ltd., the development and design practice responsible for repurposing the Bok Building in South Philadelphia into space for makers, nonprofits, small businesses, and artists. The tour provided a look at the main spaces and studio outbuildings as well as details about Scout’s vision for the property that will keep artists on the Avenue of the Arts.
The tour ended with a happy hour at Frankie’s Summer Club, the pop-up spot in the property’s courtyard described by The Philadelphia Inquirer as a “leafy sun-dappled space” and “one of Center City’s chillest hangouts, drawing in neighbors and passersby with live music and drink-and-draw nights.”
Become a member today
Business leaders who are members of CPDC have access to year-round programs and events from panel discussions to behind-the-scenes hard hat tours of some of Center City’s most exciting projects.
Membership pays for research and member engagement and enables CPDC to continue to provide reliable marketplace information and enhance the competitiveness of Center City.
To learn more about CPDC and how to join, visit joincpdc.org or contact CCD Economic Development Manager Lauren Smith at lsmith@centercityphila.org.
joincpdc.org