Vacant buildings issue downtown
The nearly two dozen vacant buildings that dot downtown Philadelphia were noted as a concern by a group of planning experts in a final report to the Philadelphia Main Street Association recently.
While downtown retailer Steve Wilkerson of Steve’s on the Square says leaders should target specific categories like gift shops to fill the vacancies, he says now may not be the time because of the economic downturn.
“I don’t know that it’s a good time to really recruit,” Wilkerson said. “We need to get through the economic downturn and then be geared up for when it turns around. We need more shops.”
Wilkerson also suggested that downtown needs restaurants that stay open at night.
The report said vacant storefronts in downtown Philadelphia create an atmosphere of neglect and deterioration.
The appearance of these buildings needs to be addressed immediately in order to create an environment conductive to economic vitality, the team of outside professionals said in their final report.
