Plans to improve both the appearance and social environment of West Philadelphia have been initiated by a collaborative effort involving the Philadelphia Zoo, Fairmount Park Commission, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts and other organizations.
Representatives from these organizations plan to come together to form a "Centennial District," in order to attract greater numbers and different types of visitors. The project is currently in the fledgling stages, and completion of the goals is likely to take several years.
The development of this district will be managed through the Fairmount Park Commission, but each organization will plan and carry out its own changes.
"Each one of them is bound to fund its own type of changes," Fairmount Park Commission Chief of Staff Barry Bessler said. But "all institutions would benefit [financially] from being a collaborative district."
Planned changes include improving the landscape of the area to make it more attractive and making the area more accessible for pedestrians.
Improvements like building an inner-district form of transportation, such as a trolley, and possibly reconstructing some of the institutions are being planned but will not be finished for some time.
Plans for such a mode of transportation are still in "very early concept stages," but a trolley line would be "a critical element of the success of the district," said Pete Hoskins, president and chief executive officer of the Philadelphia Zoo.
Planners "may be able to take advantage of some of the old trolley beds," he added.
With these changes, officials hope to create a significant family destination to attract both residents of the metropolitan area and other tourists.
Fairmount officials also hope to "recapture some of the glory of the Centennial Exposition" of 1876, while also developing the economic community of both the parks and the city, Bessler said.
The Centennial Exposition was an enormous fair celebrating the 100th birthday of the United States. Approximately 10 million people, a quarter of the U.S. population at the time, attended the fair, which was held in Fairmount Park and lasted more than five months.
Since the district will be built in about the same area where the exposition was held, it will be called a "Centennial District."
Although planning started for the Centennial District nearly two years ago, it is still in its early stages, and the organizations are not yet sure as to what extent the area will change.
Also, because the major institutions involved already exist, the "cost of the district should not be enormous," Hoskins said.
In addition to the Philadelphia Zoo, the Mann Center and Fairmount Park, the Please Touch Museum and Japanese Gardens at Fairmount Park are participating, and organizers are looking at recruiting others as well.
