To put it lightly, North Broad Street is blowing up. Not literally, but with development activity.
… And there’s more on the way. Enjoy the holiday weekend, everyone!
I can’t remember where I saw it, but I once read that the city was potentially going to name N Broad St the “Avenue of the Sciences”; what a great idea! To also call it “Avenue of the Arts” (like S Broad St) I think would not only be a wasted marketing opportunity, but it would dilute the brand for S Broad St.
Although there are places along N Broad St that would support the AOTA brand (i.e. PA Ballet, PAFA, etc.), there are also important institutions promoting science (i.e. Wagner Institute, Temple University, etc.).
The Uptown project should be great for N Broad St, but I personally believe the science route works better from a branding perspective.
Thoughts anyone?
Back in 1993, when Ed Rendell was Mayor of Philadelphia, one of his goals was to really expand the Center City brand as much as possible. Since South Broad St has always been known as Philadelphia’s “Theater District,” Rendell decided to capitalize on our existing assets and jump start a new non-profit called “Avenue of the Arts.”
Nowadays when you drive down South Broad St, you would think that South Broad St has always looked this cool. Great architecture, lots of theaters, excellent restaurants, and high-end living accommodations. But the truth is, Avenue of the Arts was really what made that all happen.
To build on that success, there is a new plan brewing for North Broad St; and it starts with the “Promenade of Lights.”