Nonprofit Set To Reveal Strategic Plan For North Broad Street
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Community Development Corporation that took over North Broad Street last year will reveal its strategic plan on Tuesday.
"This strategic plan really represents what the community said they would like to see on North Broad," says Shalimar Thomas, executive director of North Broad Renaissance.
The voluntary special service district governs the area of North Broad Street spanning from City Hall to Germantown Avenue. Thomas says they spent months collecting input from the community and now are ready to release a strategic plan focused on marketing, maintenance and landscaping, safe and clean streets and economic development. The first phase will be visible in a matter of weeks.
"You'll start seeing North Broad orange banners going up along North Broad and you'll also see our clean crew out," she says.
Step two of phase one is clean up. Thomas says North Broad is in the process of selecting a vendor that will take over the maintenance and clean up services along the corridor.
"Very similar to organizations to organizations like the Center City District and the University City District, we'll have our crew on North Broad," says Thomas.
Phase two will be safety. Thomas says they are hoping to do safety patrols and create safety ambassadors, as well as brighter lights all along the corridor. That effort won't come for a year or two.
"It's going to take a while before you see serious changes," she says, "this is a really big task."
Thomas says phase four will be economic development and the creation of a health zone. Last week, the group held an outdoor yoga class outside of the Uptown Theater in partnership with other organizations in the area. Thomas says North Broad Renaissance is a city funded effort, but the goal is to create a zone that is so prosperous it can stand on its own.
"The goal is for people to see a different type of activity taking place so they can change their perception of North Broad Street," she says.
Details of the North Broad Street Strategic Plan will be revealed Tuesday night at the Mural Lofts at 523 North Broad Street from 5-7 p.m. A copy of the plan will be made public on the nonprofit's website on July 1.