Upgrade on the way for Market St.

Come fall 2009, University City will likely see a more aesthetically pleasing, pedestrian-accessible Market Street.

Several organizations in the area, including the PennPraxis-affiliated Friends of 40th Street , have developed a plan to revitalize the Market Street corridor from 34th to 41st streets. Construction is expected to begin on Jan. 1, 2009 and be finished by next fall.

Plans for the renovations include new trees, sidewalks and bicycle lanes and improved pedestrian lighting and crosswalks.

Additionally, the area from 34th to 39th streets, where the University City Science Center is located, will include solar- and wind-powered light fixtures and urban rain gardens.

Members of the groups involved said the project is important because it will help make Market Street a better place for retailers and community members.

Lewis Wendell , the executive director of University City District, one of the organizations involved with the plans, wrote in an e-mail that the renovations will help Market Street have a more uniform look and will make the area safer.

"The idea was to create a more consistent and integrated streetscape as a more elegant and pedestrian-friendly boulevard along Market Street," he wrote.

Funding will come from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, the Philadelphia Commerce Department and the Science Center.

Andrew Frishkoff of the Commerce Department said the project will help make Market Street "one of the best places in the city" by making it easier for people to cross the street and by making it more enticing for people to spend time in the area.

He added that the area in its current condition is "not living up to its potential."

Andrew Goodman, one of the main organizers and facilitators of Friends of 40th Street, agreed.

"The physical design and appearance of an area can have a positive impact in all sorts of areas," he said. This impact can affect economic growth and improve the quality of life in the area.

The "more welcoming" atmosphere will improve safety and the climate for businesses, Penn Facilities spokesman Tony Sorrentino wrote in an e-mail.

"We know the benefits of investing in public spaces of the community," he wrote.

Employees at local businesses like the idea of the project.

Mamadou Dia, who works for Window Business as an accessories vendor at the corner of 40th and Market streets, said that business is slow right now, so the revitalization could help it improve.

John Yi, the manager of 40 Stop Mini Market at the same intersection, said he also supports the plan.

The Science Center is still in the process of securing its part of the funds. If the Science Center does not receive the money it needs in time, the renovations may begin at a later time.

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