Philadelphia bill would transform City Hall plaza

Plans to transform City Hall's Dilworth Plaza into a place where people can picnic, enjoy music, and ice skate took a step forward Thursday as City Council introduced legislation that would help secure funding for the project.

Councilman Darrell L. Clarke introduced a bill that would allow the city to lease the plaza, on the west side of City Hall, to the Center City District for $1 a year for 30 years.

In return, the Center City District would raise the money and oversee the plaza's overhaul from a strip of deteriorating, often trash-strewn concrete to an inviting urban lawn with a cafe and ice rink.

The plans call for a large and concert-friendly lawn partially covered by a cluster of trees, a programmable fountain that could double as a skating rink and that pedestrians could walk across when it was not in use, a cafe that would remain lighted at night, and glass pavilions that would lead to - and light up - the subway system below.

"This will create a first-class park on the west side of the plaza. It will be like a cross between Millennium Park in Chicago and our own Rittenhouse Square," said Paul R. Levy, president and chief executive of the Center City District.

Millennium Park is a widely praised park and tourist attraction with sculptures, a fountain, and a concert theater.

Council is expected to vote on the bill this month.

Having a lease would fulfill a key requirement for securing $15.5 million from the state for the $50 million project. The Center City District would get that money only if it had control of the site, Levy said.

"We're really delighted the councilman took the leadership to do this," he said. "We need to show that we will have control over the site for the purpose of the construction, and that's what this lease does."

Levy hopes to complete the project by fall 2013.

Any profits from the rink or the cafe would go toward maintenance of the plaza, such as cleaning, landscaping, and maintaining the glass. Maintenance costs may total about $500,000 a year, Levy said.

The Center City District, which is dedicated to keeping Center City clean and safe, has a similar arrangement with the city for Cafe Cret on the Parkway.

The city would retain rights and responsibilities pertaining to Dilworth Plaza and events held there through an operating agreement with the Center City District.

Construction money would include $15 million in transportation funding that is part of the federal stimulus program, and $15 million from the state's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.

Levy said he hoped to raise $8 million to $9 million from local foundations and private contributors. He said the Center City District could also fill any funding gap with a $20 million loan commitment it has from PNC Bank.

In addition, the city hopes to contribute $5 million to $10 million from its capital budget in the next two years.

Led by SEPTA, a $200 million renovation of the subway system under the plaza is to begin at the same time.

Also Thursday, Council voted unanimously to raise fines on merchants who sell cigarettes to youths and to make it easier to temporarily shut them down for repeat violations. The legislation is aimed at curbing teen smoking in Philadelphia, where more young people smoke than in any other city with comparable data.

The ordinance raises the fine from $100 to $250. It also streamlines the process, rarely used by the Department of Licenses and Inspections in the recent past, to temporarily cease operations of retailers after a third violation. Officials say the Department of Public Health will also be more involved, with workers visiting every retailer within two days of every known illegal sale.