The University City District released its third annual report card delineating the economic and residential status of University City in 2002 on Wednesday.
In addition to a 19 percent fall in the most violent crimes in University City last year, the report describes retail developments in the area.
Fifteen new businesses -- ranging from Power Yoga Works on Walnut Street to UC Pets on Baltimore Avenue, have been added since last year.
"I think one of the things that we are most excited about is... the fact that progress is being made deeper into the neighborhood," said Eric Goldstein, executive director of the UCD. "Early on, there were a lot of improvements... very close to the institutions... but this year, we're seeing a lot of progress in the western area of University City."
The report also highlights the area's new facilities, which include several University-owned buildings such as the Pottruck Health and Fitness Center and Huntsman Hall. Also listed as major new developments in the last year are the Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School and the Bridge: Cinema De Lux, among others.
Of University City land that is vacant, more than half is currently under development, the report noted.
The area's finances have also seen a boost. Over the last year, companies and organizations in the University City area received more than $507 million in grants and contracts, showing an increase of 45 percent in funding since 1998, according to the report. The University is currently the largest employer in the area, followed by the U.S. Postal Service and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
The report additionally shows a 15 percent increase in the number of graduate students who now choose to live in University City as opposed to Center City. In 1999, 25.3 percent of University graduate students lived in University City. Last year, the number jumped up to 40 percent.
Goldstein explained that the impact this has on the community as a whole is immense -- it increases housing demand and encourages retail growth as well. It is partly because of this development that he feels the district's western neighborhoods have been able to improve so markedly.
The report card, which Goldstein said was delayed from a proposed March release date due to the difficulties the one UCD staff member designated to work on the report had in collecting the data, designing and producing the report, also lists new retail operations that have opened over the past year.
Clearly, Goldstein is proud of the UCD's accomplishments in 2002. Still, he knows that the job of a district is never complete.
"There's a lot of work still to be done in the neighborhood commercial corridors," Goldstein said. "Obviously, the residential market in University City is recovering really well. We still see major demand in the neighborhood that's not being met on the corridor, so that's something we're clearly focused on."
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