Initiative to beautify W. Philadelphia area

The University City District has a new initiative to beautify the neighborhood -- and getting rid of "nasty couches" is part of the plan. But clearing out old sofas is just one segment of a three-pronged effort by the UCD to rehabilitate and preserve local houses, apartments and businesses. Trash on the sidewalks, dim lighting, chipped paint and leaking roofs are all coming under attack by the 3-month-old Neighborhood Rehabilitation Initiative. Led by D-L Wormley, who arrived at the UCD in January after managing Penn's community housing programs for nearly two years, the initiative is intended to improve the physical appearance of the neighborhood. "You wouldn't want to invest in a neighborhood that looked terrible," Wormley said. To this end, Wormley said she plans to hold workshops instructing landowners about home improvement, organize area landlords and provide technical assistance for local businesses. By focusing on making University City "clean and safe," the UCD as a whole has already put safety ambassadors on patrol, hired workers to clean the sidewalks and planted new trees along 40th Street. But the Neighborhood Rehabilitation Initiative will take these goals a step further, explained UCD Executive Director Paul Steinke, because the improvements will now be taking place in homes and businesses -- and not just on streets and sidewalks. Steinke explained that the addition of Wormley "gave us the opportunity to affect the private environment." In January and February, Wormley began surveying community members to determine their concerns about the neighborhood in order to determine the focus of the program. The survey revealed that the primary issue on the minds of University City landowners is selecting and working with contractors. In response to the community's concerns, the UCD will host a series of workshops in early May on contracting, roof maintenance and window repair. Business owners also voiced their concerns about what assistance UCD could provide. Many were curious as to how to improve the attractiveness of their storefronts, while others had practical concerns, such as installing more lighting. "A lot of small entrepreneurs need access to technical help," Wormley said. "Our role is to act as a facilitator to help businesses link into this assistance at no cost." UCD will not directly fund these improvements. Instead, Wormley will assist the businesses by finding and targeting foundations that offer grants for such projects. The Wharton Small Business Center will also provide advice regarding technical problems and marketing questions. Additionally, the initiative seeks to unite University City landlords in order to make neighborhood sidewalks trash-free and the houses well-lit, clean and attractive. Landlord Dan Bernstein, president of Sherman Properties, said he believes that part of the initiative will be "wildly successful" because it unifies the efforts the landlords have already been making. "We need to make sure that we continue to make University City a community that attracts people to visit it," Bernstein said. "The efforts of UCD will only help the situation and should provide some structure."

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