Resolution 180717

..Title Recognizing and honoring Paul R. Levy, recipient of the 2017 Vision for Philadelphia Award, for his hard work and dedication to the City of Philadelphia. ..Body WHEREAS, The Vision for Philadelphia Award recognizes an individual or organization that plays a preeminent role in advancing the City of Philadelphia by impacting the quality of life of its citizens and business communities and making the City a better place to live, to work and to visit; and WHEREAS, Paul R. Levy is the founding Chief Executive of Philadelphia's Center City District ("CCD") and has been serving in that capacity since 1991; and WHEREAS, The CCD is a $23.5 million downtown management district providing security, cleaning, place marketing, promotion, planning and capital improvement services for the central business district of Philadelphia; and WHEREAS, Mr. Levy also serves as the Executive Director of Central Philadelphia Development Corporation ("CPDC"), an advocacy and planning organization supported by the downtown business community; and WHEREAS, The CPDC seeks to revitalize downtown Philadelphia through converting vacant office buildings to residential use; and WHEREAS, Paul Levy is an active board member of the following organizations: the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Committee, the Independence Visitor Center Corporation and chairs the board of the Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation; and WHEREAS, Mr. Levy has offered insight and advice to the City as he served on the 2009 Mayor's Task Force on Tax Policy & Economic Competitiveness and has been the recipient of several awards including the 2014 "Paul Cret" Award, the 2011 "Heart of Philadelphia Award", the 2010 Francis A. Wister Award, the 2006 Philadelphia Award, the 2002 Wyck-Strickland Award, the 2002 Philadelphia Committee on City Policy Community Leadership Award, and the 1996 Pennsylvania Society of Architects Honor Award; and WHERAS, The City's newest and highly anticipated attraction, the Rail Park, an elevated public space with expansive views of the City including landscaping, benches and huge industrial swings was made possible due to the instrumental role Paul Levy and the CCD (along with Friends of the Rail Park and the Department of Parks and Recreation) played in advocating for the park and in obtaining funding for park; and WHEREAS, Levy has tirelessly worked to improve our City and its public spaces as he stated during the Rail Park opening "To see the hundreds of people who came out today from different neighborhoods of the City, to have dancers here from Chinatown, to have Roman Catholic High School - we wanted this to be a park for everybody in the City and everybody in these neighborhoods, and to see everyone here is incredibly gratifying"; and WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is grateful for Paul Levy's leadership and contributions to the City; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby recognizes and honors Paul R. Levy, recipient of the 2017 Vision for Philadelphia Award, for his hard work and dedication to the City of Philadelphia. ..End Allan Domb Councilman At-Large 2