COLUMN: A campus to rival Harvard's

From Adam Mark's, "Mark My Words," Fall '96 From Adam Mark's, "Mark My Words," Fall '96 For years -- or for at least as long as I've been here -- students have complained about the quality and quantity of retail options near campus. There are few upscale restaurants, even fewer grocery outlets and little in the way of entertainment. The bars are cramped, the stores close early and the streets are dead. University President Judith Rodin realizes the campus is depressed and wants to spruce things up. She will, if she has her way, create a sort of urban paradise -- a hip, "funky," restless town. Penn on Prozac, if you will. Although the administration is waiting on a report from Biddison Hier, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting team hired to evaluate the state of Penn's facilities and residences, Rodin has given us a glimpse of her personal wish list. She would: · Demolish the high rises to make way for apartment houses, townhouses, family homes or better dorms; · Build a new hotel, the Penn Inn, adjacent to the Barnes & Noble superstore to be constructed at 36th and Walnut streets; · Create an upscale retail strip around the new hotel and book store, replete with restaurants and eclectic boutiques; · And erect and modernize residences on the north end of campus. If Rodin's plan becomes reality, patches of Penn's campus could resemble Philadelphia's Manayunk or Boston's Harvard Square. Sure, Billybob's is here to stay, but after Rodin takes her wrecking ball to Walnut Street, Superblock and 40th Street, Penn will finally look and feel like the world-class institution it is. Currently, a visitor to Penn can drive around campus -- and miss it entirely. The sights along Walnut, Spruce, 33rd and 40th streets leave much to be desired. Unless you're standing on the Compass at 37th and Locust, you get the impression Penn is just a glut of food trucks and strip malls. But when Rodin's done with things, the University will become a "destination," like Rittenhouse Square, the Avenue of the Arts or Penn's Landing. The Barnes & Noble and the Penn Inn will act like magnets for restaurants and retail. In a few years, students won't have to trek far off campus for a drink or a nice dinner. As long we have money to spend -- and we have plenty of money to spend -- we might as well spend it locally. With a new hotel, more restaurants and exciting retail, Penn will also attract and accommodate more visitors. The University is not in the tourism business, but it will only benefit when more visitors -- including parents and alumni -- stay and spend money in West Philadelphia. A more attractive, dynamic campus means prospective students are more likely to choose Penn over schools that are more aesthetically pleasing. If Penn looked like Harvard, more high school seniors would make Penn their top choice. If you believe Rodin's plan is purely corporate, consider its potential side effects: The erection of new and vibrant residences will encourage more students to live on campus. Not only will this create a tighter, more collegiate environment, it would free up homes in the surrounding neighborhood for families to move back in. (Theory has it University City went to pot when students took it over and slumlords carved up gorgeous, turn-of-the-century homes into tenements.) More and better retail plus more bars and restaurants that stay open late will lead to more people out on the streets and a safer environment. Less crime is a corollary to more foot traffic. Retail development will be a boon to West Philadelphia, bringing jobs, commerce and media attention. Sure, mega book stores and chain restaurants may put some Mom-and-Pop operations out of business. But the University knows the day of the neighborhood pharmacy is over. How much will this facelift cost the University? Oh, a few million bake sales on Locust Walk should cover it. Will it be cost-efficient? Nothing Penn does is ever cost-efficient. But the University has tightened its belt through administrative restructuring, and these proposed commercial endeavors will eventually pay for themselves. Does Rodin's plan jibe with Penn's educational mission, whatever it is? Retail and restaurants seemingly have nothing to do with education, but a safer and more dynamic living environment could foster a healthier learning environment. And while education at Penn is regarded as, well, good, the retail and residential scene is bleak. Administrators are often criticized for ignoring students' needs, working too slowly or not looking at the big picture. Now they're finally prepared to give us what we've asked for, all in one sitting, and I'm grateful. My only regret is that I won't be around to see it.