City report: Area is 'catastrophic'

City officials blamed the downturn of Philadelphia's neighborhoods on the decline of heavy industry. West Philadelphia's economic problems are no different from those experienced by other parts of the city, according to a recent report describing the overall condition of Philadelphia neighborhoods as "catastrophic." The report -- "Neighborhood Transformations: The Implementation of Philadelphia's Community Development Policy" -- was released Wednesday by the city's Office of Housing and Community Development. The report notes that Philadelphia communities were originally built around the large industrial firms that dominated the city in the 19th century. But Philadelphia's economic success has declined in the post-industrial era --Eand so has the quality of the city's neighborhoods. The document cited West Philadelphia as an example of the city's deteriorating communities. "The decline of manufacturing had a significant effect on areas of West, Southwest and South Philadelphia," according to the report, which named several West Philadelphia industrial firms which left the area, taking with them jobs and, in many cases, significant portions of the area's population. The report praised several West Philadelphia organizations, but didn't name the University -- the city's largest private employer -- as trying to improve the area. In particular, the report cited the West Philadelphia Partnership for its economic accomplishments and the People's Emergency Center --Ea homeless shelter for women and children at 39th and Spring Garden streets -- for providing social services in the area. And the report explained that the worsening economic climate has caused other types of problems as well. Drug abuse, run-down housing and crime are "symptoms, not causes, of this wide-ranging crisis in the Philadelphia neighborhood economy," according to the report. In a written release, OHCD Director John Kromer -- who wrote the report -- said many Philadelphia communities must implement strategies to improve local economies decimated by the city's bleak economic situation. The report's section on West Philadelphia stressed the importance of identifying and rehabilitating vacant houses for use by single families, and working to eliminate investor-owned apartment buildings and instead sell them to individual families. The strategy is designed to create a stronger sense of community within West Philadelphia, which Kromer hopes would help to lure retail back to the area. Although he cited critical problems with Philadelphia's economic and social structure, Kromer stressed that the city's neighborhoods have opportunities to rebuild after a long period of economic decline. And the report noted that quasi-governmental community development corporations in the Philadelphia area have made significant progress in constructing development plans for various city neighborhoods and providing social services to residents. Kromer added that such community effort and organization is essential before the neighborhoods can begin to rebuild. "Despite the massive economic disinvestment that has occurred, many neighborhoods are beginning to succeed in repositioning themselves effectively for economic success," he said in the release.