Giving the city a lift, with good deeds or brick by brick

To say the least, I was a little surprised at the size of the crowd that filled the One Riverside sales center at 25th and Locust Streets.

A few weeks before, I had received an invitation to attend an event at the sales center honoring some high-flying real estate brokers, whom developer Carl Dranoff was recognizing for selling many of the condos at the new high-rise across the street. (It was about four stories high at the time.)

Update: As of that mid-February day, half the 82 condos had been sold.

Knowing Dranoff, I figured he'd drag us over to the most recently completed floor, there'd be hot chocolate, he'd say a few words, and then I could head up to 40th and Baring Streets in Powelton Village to get a look at off-campus housing I was going to write about.

I was wrong.

The sales center was wall-to-wall real estate agents, and the rostrum was covered with enough microphones to give a veteran politician pause.

It seems that Dranoff had asked the area's real estate agents to nominate those among them who do more than just their jobs, making them "One in a Million," which was what the award was called.

Originally, there were going to be four awards, but so many people were nominated that Dranoff and Marianne Harris, his sales and marketing director, added three honorable mentions.

Allan Domb took top prize, $1,000, which the Democratic councilman-at-large gave to Albert Greenfield Elementary School at 22nd and Chestnut Streets.

Domb donates his City Council salary to the Philadelphia School District. He is introduced as the first businessperson to be elected to Council in 99 years - a revelation that surprised a lot of the agents in the room, probably all suburbanites.

Sean Kaplan, of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Fox & Roach, was second-prize winner for his work mentoring new agents and caring for his elderly neighbors.

Third-prize winner Kristin Daly, of Keller Williams Real Estate, is founder of the Southwest Center City 5K Run, which has raised more than $30,000 for charitable groups. She also is a fund-raiser for the Friends of Chester A. Arthur public school and has received a blue-ribbon award from the 17th Police District for her community work.

Brett Bender, of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Fox & Roach, was fourth-place winner. He is a big supporter of the Susan G. Komen organization.

Honorable mentions went to Skye Michiels, of Keller Williams, who represents "clients in crisis pro bono," volunteers and donates to Habitat for Humanity, teaches classes for free, and trains new agents; Linda Knox, of Kurfiss Sotheby International Realty, who sits on the Union League's scholarship committee for disadvantaged children, contributes to the Partnership School, and is active in the Rescue Dog program; and Marc Hammarberg, of BHHS Fox & Roach, who is active in the American Diabetes Association and whose colleagues called him "one of the most talented and helpful agents in the business."

When it was over, I braved below-freezing temperatures to look at the progress on One Riverside, where the workers went about their business without regard for the weather.

They get my vote.

Then I hiked along the Schuylkill Trail to the ramp leading to the Market Street Bridge and University City.

Usually, I look at the city and its evolution from street level on either side of the river, but on this particular day I was able to look up at both sides.

It is remarkable how much this city has changed since I arrived here 36 years ago.

And, of course, how much it hasn't.

aheavens@phillynews.com

215-854-2472 @alheavens