Disney hopes for a Magic Kingdom in Center City

The entertainment giant is looking to build a virtual-reality complex at Eighth and Market streets. Are Mickey Mouse and friends coming to Philadelphia? One day after headlines blared with news of a likely deal between Walt Disney Co. and. a local developer to build an entertainment complex at Eighth and Market streets, those involved with the project sought to lower expectations about negotiations they described as far from over. At the center of the project, according to reports, would be a DisneyQuest -- "a breakthrough family regional entertainment concept combining the magic of Disney with the most engaging interactive technologies," according to a statement from the entertainment giant. "This deal is far from done," said Deputy Mayor Kevin Feeley, the chief spokesperson for the city. "It is much more than a matter of simply crossing some "T"s and dotting some "I"s." Feeley's comments came in the wake of remarks by Robert Freedman, a vice president for the company developing the site, Blue Bell, Pa.-based Goldenberg Group. "We're really not able to make any formal announcements until the "T"s are crossed and the "I"s are dotted," Freedman said at a press conference following a zoning hearing Tuesday, according to several news reports. The site will be occupied by a "well-known, national entertainment company," Freedman added. And there is very little suspense left about the identity of that "national entertainment company." "It would be silly to [deny]," Feeley said yesterday. "The mayor clearly pointed to Disney." The project is the latest project designed to aid in the economic revitalization of Center City. A new performing arts center is scheduled to break ground this fall; another developer, the Simon Group, plans a $174 million entertainment complex for Penn's Landing; and several new hotels are under construction. But not everybody is ready to call a mouse a mouse. At the hearing, city Zoning Appeals Board Chairperson Thomas Kelly referred to the development as "the Disney project." Goldenberg lawyer Carl Primavera quickly corrected Kelly. "We're in negotiations with several tenants, but we are not at liberty to publicly confirm [them]," Primavera said, according to news reports. The zoning variance Goldenberg received Tuesday allows for construction of a complex that could include as much as 250,000 feet of retail space, a 400- to 600-room hotel, a 20-screen movie theater and a 1,000-car garage. Construction is scheduled to begin by April. Developers often ask for zoning variances in excess of actual development plans, to allow for later changes. The first DisneyQuest premiered in June in Orlando, Fla. Another will open in downtown Chicago next year. Plans call for 20 of the complexes across the country, each including a variety of virtual-reality and interactive-entertainment options. While no leases have been signed, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Regal Cinemas, high-end toy store FAO Schwarz and Virgin Records are the other companies negotiating with Goldenberg. None of the companies returned calls for comment. Goldenberg Group, and Primavera also failed to return several calls. Officials at Disney headquarters in Burbank, Calif., did not return calls for comment, though Disney has previously acknowledged "looking closely at the city." But none of this has damped the enthusiasm of Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, the only person to put Disney's name on the record so far. "I've said consistently this would be a great thing for the city," Rendell said at a press conference.