Civic Center debate heats up

The University's intentions to acquire the Civic Center from the city were officially announced last night at an open community meeting with University and city officials, only to receive a barrage of criticism and disapproval from West Philadelphia community residents. Senior Vice President of the Medical Center Gordon Williams stood at the front of the room with City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, State Sen. Chaka Fattah and State Rep. James Roebuck. And, while Williams was armed with diagrams detailing the location and layout of the potential ambulatory care unit, he was quick to say the University has not yet purchased the city-owned Civic Center. "We very clearly recognize that [the Civic Center] is city property," Williams said. "We're merely looking at an opportunity that we think may be a win-win situation [for the city and the University]." Williams cited the lack of research space, parking and adequate outpatient facilities at the current medical complex as reasons for wanting to expand. Williams said the University has engaged in "informal discussions on and off with the city about the availability of the site until recently." If the University does acquire the property, Williams said, the development of the Civic Center site would cost anywhere from $900 million to $1 billion. In addition, the gradual costs of refining the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's current research facilities would be "approximately $2 billion over 15 to 20 years," Williams said. The plan, Williams estimated, would create an average of 4,500 jobs per year over the 20 years of the project. But the over 200 people packed into a Children's Hospital of Philadelphia conference room to talk about the plan questioned, sometimes fiercely, the University's desire to expand. Lloyd Wayne, a University graduate and West Philadelphia resident, said the University has, throughout its history, defaulted on its obligation to its neighborhood. "Promises, promises – where's the beef?" Wayne said, to the applause of the audience. Wayne and many other audience members questioned the absence of more prominent University officials at the community meeting. Harriet Frye Brown of the South Philadelphia Alliance for Community Improvement agreed. "It's arrogant on your part," she said to Williams. "You haven't come back and mended your fences with the community." "Bring your trustees out!" she said to applause and cheers. "If they're not ashamed of what they're doing, then let them sit down and talk with the community." A procession of community members took to the podium for an hour, one by one denouncing the University's record on city and race relations. "This is a done deal," one audience member said. "They might not have signed any papers, but this is a done deal." Many insisted on community and minority involvement in any plans for the Civic Center site – involvement which would include jobs, better health care and access to University facilities for local residents. "All that I'm asking is my equal share of the pie," Philadelphia NAACP leader Milton Montgomery said. Montgomery and many others said community members should also be involved in the ongoing negotiations for the site. After the meeting, Williams, who did not respond to the vitriol of community residents during the meeting, said negotiations with the city are by no means "a done deal." "We have to give the community the opportunity to voice their concerns," Williams said, adding that any initiative to purchase Civic Center land would have to be heard in a city-wide public hearing and voted on by City Council. Blackwell said she thinks the University has a shot at acquiring the Civic Center site. "Certainly it can happen, if they respond specifically to how people feel," she said.