Last month, it was announced that Comcast and the Philadelphia 76ers planned to have the buildings on Market East they acquired this past summer demolished.
While there has not been any update as to what plans are after the demolition, some residents are raising concerns, writes Mike D’Onofrio for AXIOS Philadelphia.
Debbie Wei, a member of the Save Chinatown Coalition, shared that the lack of transparency in the process and of opportunities for community input on Market East’s future is cause for concern.
“We’re not against development, but the lack of process from developers is not a sign to us that this is going to be anything good,” she said.
A steering committee for the Design Advocacy Group wrote in a statement that “it makes no sense to stage such impulsive demolition on Market Street to create spaces we don’t need now for the not-yet-planned projects that may come next.”
The 900 and 1000 block of Market Street has long struggled as a result of several vacancies and failed development projects, along with slow economic activity and safety concerns.
Mayor Cherelle Parker recently placed Jerry Sweeney of Brandywine Realty Trust as the head of a Market East revitalization advisory committee to discuss how to improve the area.
Residents simply want more clarity.
Read more about the planned demolitions and how residents feel about it at AXIOS Philadelphia.
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