U. parties at Sansom Common

Penn President Judith Rodin and Phila. Mayor Ed Rendell attended the grand opening. When University President Judith Rodin says "it's time to party," Philadelphia takes notice. Amid falling confetti, roving local television news crews, speeches by local and Penn luminaries and a performance by a funk band, members of the University community gathered yesterday for a block party to celebrate the opening of Sansom Common, Penn's gleaming new retail and hotel complex. During the day, Ben Franklin and an ice sculptor greeted visitors to the spacious Penn Bookstore -- the only retailer currently open in the building besides the Xando coffeehouse and bar. The store held events all day to celebrate its ceremonial grand opening, although it has been open since July 15. Anyone who is anyone spoke at the event: Philadelphia Mayor and University alumnus Ed Rendell, University Executive Vice President John Fry and City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell were among the officials who addressed the crowd of several hundred during the party, which lasted from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Rodin's words, followed by an exuberant "Let's celebrate," concluded the speeches. Shortly afterwards, officials set off four guns that shot red and blue confetti into the air. "If Philadelphia wants to become a great city, it needs great allies, and Penn is among our very best allies," Rendell said. He said he recently touted the Inn at Penn as an attraction to the committee responsible for selecting the site of the Republican National Convention in 2000. Tables holding food, drinks and giveaways lined the sidewalks on both sides of the complex. Police closed 36th Street between Walnut and Sansom streets during the celebration. Lettuce, a Boston-based funk band, performed on a stage set up near the intersection of 36th and Sansom streets, while a jazz band played on a stage on the complex's south side. Sansom Common, rising from a former parking lot, will also house two other stores. Urban Outfitters clothing and Parfumerie Douglas cosmetics are scheduled to open this fall to complete the first, $80 million phase of the project. A fifth store, the City Sports athletic chain, had been slated to move into Sansom Common but recently opted not to join the new complex. University officials are currently negotiating to bring another athletic and outdoor goods store to the former City Sports space, according to Tom Lussenhop, the University's top real estate official. When completed, Sansom Common will also include the 256-room Inn at Penn, which will occupy the building's top three stories, an additional two retailers and a restaurant. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 1999. As part of its pre-block party celebration, the bookstore had WXPN radio personality Kathy O'Connell as well as authors Roger Moss, Judy Wicks, who owns the White Dog Cafe, and Kevin von Klause on hand to sign books. It also brought in a man costumed as Ben Franklin to greet customers as they entered. During their speeches at the block party, which began at about 5:30 p.m., many officials cited the importance of the project not just to the University, but to all of Philadelphia. "Since [Rodin] arrived, we have tried to form a close partnership between Penn and the city," said Blackwell, whose West Philadelphia district includes the University. "Sansom Common is the culmination of the effort." Rendell said the project will create 400 new jobs, "the majority of which will come from the West Philadelphia community." Pennsylvania State Rep. James Roebuck and Myles Tanenbaum, chairperson of the Board of Trustees' Facilities and Campus Planning Committee, also spoke at the event.