Diner tops officials' retail wish list

Plans to attract a 24-hour diner to campus top administrators' efforts to introduce changes to area retail and "address student needs" at the University, Executive Vice President John Fry said this week. University officials are pursuing initiatives to bring a "number of changes in the mix of retail" at the Hamilton Village shopping center and 3401 Walnut Shops at Penn complex, he added. "The obvious need is for a diner," Fry said. "That's the most important thing, by far." Additionally, efforts to attract a large grocery store to campus are "moving forward," and he noted administrators have identified up to three potential locations for the store in the "western part" of campus. Plans to attract a store are in "preliminary stages," University City Associates General Manager John Greenwood said. UCA oversees the properties in Hamilton Village and the 3401 Walnut complex. "We're trying to understand customer needs on a University and community level," he said. Greenwood said possible options include "specialty market" stores, similar to the Fresh Fields/Whole Foods grocery store chain, which opened a new store near the Philadelphia Museum of Art January 8. "A specialty market should be tailoring the market toward student needs," he noted. Many students have expressed dissatisfaction with current grocery store options, including Thriftway Supermarket, Campus Market and Wawa convenience stores, which they said do not meet their needs. Fry added that University officials will examine options in addition to Fresh Fields/Whole Foods, as well. "It is short-sighted to stop there -- we need to engage other stores," he said, adding that administrators have "made some contacts" and will approach these stores in the next few weeks. And University officials are working with a realty consultant to "seek expressions of interest from the market." Community members have joined members of the University in expressing a need for an additional grocery store in the area, Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs Carol Scheman said. "There's a demand among a lot of our neighbors for more balanced and varied retail," she said. "We're working with neighborhood groups." And Urban Studies Department Co-Director Elaine Simon described the Hamilton Village shopping center as a "boundary" between the University and West Philadelphia. She added that the block attracts crime to the area and creates a feeling of danger, especially at night. "Statistics show that's where crimes occur -- right there on 40th Street," she said. "It really has the feel of a boundary, especially after 5 p.m." Administrators explained that certain businesses in the area -- often labeled as "nuisance businesses" -- attract crime to the area. An on-campus grocery store would reduce interaction and potentially hurt relations between students and West Philadelphia community members, Simon noted. "Rather than insulate the Penn community more, there should be some attempts to encourage students to interact more," she said. "The more opportunities student have to interact with the community, the better," she added. Administrators and UCA officials are continuing efforts to fill vacancies in the 3401 Walnut Shops complex, including the Italian Bistro location and the space previously occupied by Sam Goody. The Italian Bistro vacated its space in July 1994 due to financial difficulties. And Sam Goody closed its location at 34th and Sansom streets last month for the same reason. "We want businesses that serve the demands of the community," Scheman said.