$100 million plan unveiled to transform Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts into greener space
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A $100 million makeover to transform Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts was unveiled on Tuesday. The plan called "Avenue of the Arts 2.0" would make the stretch of Broad Street from City Hall to Washington Avenue into a lush, green arts park.
Gensler, a world-renowned architecture firm, is designing "Avenue of the Arts 2.0."
"We've achieved much as an organization over the last 31 years," Laura Burkhardt, the Avenue of the Arts, Inc. executive director, said in a news release. "Today, the Avenue of the Arts is one of the City's most dynamic mixed-use corridors with thousands of residents and millions of visitors each year. This initiative will add 'world-class arts city' to Philadelphia's renown as a hub of history and sports."
The signature stretch of Center City on South Broad Street is known for its musical theater, opera, film and comedy shows.
The plan for "Avenue of the Arts 2.0" would bring a 10-block pedestrian-friendly arts park, cafe seating, aerial sculptures, rotating public art and new outdoor performance spaces, according to a news release. It would also have greened medians with public art and align with Mayor Cherelle Parker's goal to make Philadelphia the "safest, cleanest, greenest" big city in the United States.
Outside of Broadway in New York City, the Avenue of the Arts, Inc. said that no other American street "boasts cultural activities" and arts groups like the Avenue of the Arts.
Dianne Semingson, the board chair of the Avenue of the Arts, Inc., said in a release that the plan will be implemented in phases. The Avenue of the Arts, Inc. said Phase 1 would be finished by spring 2026, which would be just in time for when Philadelphia hosts several major sporting events to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, including the MLB All-Star Game, FIFA World Cup and NCAA Tournament games.
The city contributed $1 million to the $100 million project.
Under former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell's administration, South Broad Street was developed into the Avenue of the Arts.
"Avenue of the Arts 2.0 leverages the enormous public and private investments made over the last 30 years so this dynamic street may reach its fullest potential as a powerful economic driver for the region," Carl Dranoff, Avenue of the Arts, Inc. board member and real estate developer, said in a statement. "The plan takes our iconic street to the next level, transforming it into a lush boulevard where residents, theatergoers, and visitors from around the world will want to come, stay, and enjoy again and again because it's so beautiful and welcoming."