The New Philadelphia Story

The New Philadelphia Story
By Edward G. Rendell, John F. Street and Rebecca W. Rimel

“The Philadelphia region is sitting on gold.”

Thus began an op-ed piece published in this paper precisely 10 years ago. The authors lamented that Philadelphia, for all its obvious attractions and great location, lagged behind cities up and down the Eastern seaboard in selling itself as a tourist destination. Part of the problem was that Philadelphians, who excel in so many areas, had a real talent for putting themselves down. Philadelphia’s second-class status, vowed the writers, then-Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, then-Governor Tom Ridge and Pew Charitable Trusts President Rebecca Rimel, was about to change.

Today, everyone—Philadelphians included—knows that Philly is so hot, it’s cool!

“Next Great City: Philly, Really,” National Geographic Traveler declared last fall. To be sure, the headline was overdue: By the time it appeared, visitors by the millions had already recognized that Philly had become a great destination, really. Between 1997 and 2004, the annual number of leisure visitors spending the night in Philadelphia and the countryside increased by 50 percent, to 8.3 million; preliminary numbers for 2005 show even greater results. Over 3,500 hotel rooms have been added in the region since 1999, bringing the total to more than 31,000. Even with that growth in supply, last year Center City hotel occupancy rates—“heads in beds”—averaged a dazzling 81 percent on Saturday nights. And Philly is so hot that it was the only U.S. city chosen to host a Live 8 concert last year.

National Geographic Traveler named
Philadelphia the "Next Great City"

But it isn’t only visitors who recognize that Philly rocks—Philadelphians do, too. Between 1998 and 2004, more than 9,300 new residents moved into Center City, resulting in a 12 percent population increase over 2000, and the building boom continues. Currently some 60 projects are under construction, creating housing for 7,400 additional city-dwellers by 2008. Philadelphia is becoming a magnet for the creative class, which recognizes that it doesn’t have to pay New York’s or Los Angeles’ prohibitive rents in order to live in a cutting-edge community. Philadelphia has always been a great place to eat, but in the last decade, the number of high-quality restaurants in Center City grew by more than 50 percent. In the same period, an average of 30 new retail shops opened their doors annually.

How did the script for “The New Philadelphia Story” get written? For starters, government and civic-minded institutions began promoting this city and its surrounding counties. In 1995, Philadelphia spent $200,000 a year on tourism marketing. By contrast, Washington, D.C., spent $1.2 million; San Antonio, $3 million. However, 10 years ago this week, as that op-ed piece announced, the City, the Commonwealth and The Pew Charitable Trusts joined together to create the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC). This year, GPTMC, under the leadership of its dynamic president, Meryl Levitz, will spend about $10 million.

Market research has shown that every $1 GPTMC has spent on campaigns such as “Philly’s More Fun When You Sleep Over” generates $185 in direct and indirect visitor spending, an additional $13 in state and local taxes and $41 in wages for the five-county region.

We also went to work on the city itself. For years, Independence Mall was an embarrassment. This was the city’s historical crown jewel, and it badly needed polishing. Today an ambitious $300 million revitalization is almost complete, and now, everything old is new again. The Mall has become home to three exciting and important attractions—the National Constitution Center, the Independence Visitor Center and the Liberty Bell Center.

Other institutions are also on a roll. The Philadelphia Museum of Art helped launch the city’s revival with its blockbuster Cezanne show in 1996; it bookended a great decade with its Salvador Dalí retrospective, which drew nearly 400,000 visitors, 85 percent of them from out of town. The Benjamin Franklin Parkway and The Philadelphia Water Works were relit and re-energized with new sculpture, new construction and new landscaping, showcasing some of Philly’s greatest assets. In 2001, the Avenue of the Arts sparkled with the spectacular addition of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts—which joined other prominent institutions to create an extraordinary axis of arts and culture befitting a world-class city.

Looking ahead, we see Philadelphia going from strength to strength. In the next decade, we envision a city where:

• Both riverfronts are poppin’ with new places to live and to enjoy.
• The City’s Neighborhood Transformation Initiative is spreading community renewal deeper and deeper into our urban fabric.
• Our city is a draw for our college graduates and entrepreneurs from around the world.
• Arts lovers and artists alike recognize that this is the place to be.
• The Stanley Cup, the World Series, the NBA Championship and the Super Bowl—why not dream?—are all won by Philadelphia teams.
• And when tourists are planning their next vacation, the destination will be Philly, USA, with perhaps a side trip to New York or DC.

So move over Chicago, make way LA, step aside New York—Philadelphia has the vision, enthusiasm and, yes, the attitude to take center stage. Together we must build on the momentum we have created and capitalize on the money and energy we have invested. Only then will “The New Philadelphia Story” have the sweet ending it rightfully deserves.

Edward G. Rendell is governor of Pennsylvania, John F. Street is mayor of Philadelphia and Rebecca W. Rimel is president of The Pew Charitable Trusts.