Survey: Center City improving in the 1990s

A whopping 82 percent of people think that Center City is prospering and continuing to improve, according to a survey released last week. Retail development, crime reduction and job growth highlighted the fourth annual "State of Center City" report, released last week by the Center City District and the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation. "There appears to be a new mood that we can get things done," said Kevin Feeley, spokesperson for Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell. According to the report, Center City -- which includes the area bounded by Spring Garden and South streets on the north and south and the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers to the east and west -- has experienced two successive years of job growth for the first time since 1988. Eighty-five percent of Philadelphia's office space is located within Center City. The retail occupancy rate dropped slightly, but the area has still gained more than 300 retail establishments since 1992. Although Center City encompasses just two percent of Philadelphia's land area and five percent of its population, many describe downtown as the "economic engine" which drives the entire city. And jumpstarting this engine -- a goal of the Rendell administration for the past seven years -- has become a reality, according to this year's report. "Physically, economically and spiritually, Center City was carrying some of the burden that the city was very close to going under," Feeley said. "That hopelessness has been replaced by hope." In terms of safety, 71 percent of the respondents to a particular survey within the report said they almost always or always feel safe when in Center City. From 1993 to 1998, there has been a 37.7 percent decrease in serious crime in the Center City area. "Real crime numbers are down and more importantly, perceptions of safety have improved," Center City District Executive Director Paul Levy said. City Council member Frank DiCicco, who represents part of Center City, said Rendell's goal of making the city a tourist destination has been particularly helpful for his district. "Center City is the hub and it's always been the hub," DiCicco said. "But we were flat on our backs for about 20 years and this administration changed that." But despite Philadelphia's marked improvement during his administration, Rendell has been criticized for focusing too much on Center City while neglecting the outlying neighborhoods. Not surprisingly, spreading Center City's success to other neighborhoods has become a key issue in this year's mayoral election. DiCicco said he believes that concentrating on areas outside of Center City will be "crucial" for Rendell's successor, but he noted that downtown was the right place to start rebuilding. "We needed to get our fiscal house in order," he said. "And you can't expect the government to build new facilities [in neighborhoods] if you don't have money to do that. That money comes from the Center City economy." Using the services of the Eshelman & Townsend market research firm, the Center City District surveyed over 5,000 property owners, retailers, employees, residents and visitors in hopes of tracking Philadelphia's progress and spotlighting areas that need improvement. "The basic purpose of this document is to look at all the basic key generators of activity? and to measure their performance," Levy said.