COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, June 7, 2007 9:20 a.m. - - - PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN, CHAIR COUNCILMAN FRANK DiCICCO COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILMAN WILLIAM GREENLEE COUNCILMAN JACK KELLY COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO BILL 070394 - An ordinance authorizing the President of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Executive Director of Fairmount Park to enter into a lease agreement between the City of Philadelphia... - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services Eleven Penn Center 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 2
Good morning. This is the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. My name is W. Wilson Goode, Jr. I am Vice-Chair of the Committee. We are awaiting the Chair, but we can get started anyway. A quorum is present. To my left is Councilwoman Marian Tasco. To my right is Councilman Jack Kelly. Also present is Councilman Frank Rizzo. The Clerk will please read the title of the bill.
An ordinance 15 authorizing the President of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Executive Director of Fairmount Park to enter into a lease agreement between the City of Philadelphia as landlord and the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development as tenant for further sublease to Historic Philadelphia, Inc., a certain parcel of land bounded by 6th Street, 7th Street, Race Street and the Vine Street Expressway, commonly referred 3 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 to as Franklin Square, under certain terms and conditions.
We have two witnesses I would bring up as one panel. Mark Focht, Fairmount Park Commission, Amy Needle, Historic Philadelphia Incorporated, please come forward, state your name for the record and then proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, Councilman Goode and members of the Committee. My name is Mark Focht --
Excuse me. We've also been -- I'm sorry. Please proceed with your testimony.
Good morning. My name is Mark Focht. I'm the Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Commission. I am pleased to appear before you today on behalf of the Fairmount Park Commission in support of Council Bill 070394 allowing the Fairmount Park Commission to enter into a lease with the Philadelphia Authority for 4 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 Industrial Development, PAID, for a parcel of land commonly referred to as Franklin Square. Under the lease, PAID will sublease Franklin Square to Historic Philadelphia, Inc. A bit of background, under a License Agreement from February 2006, the City of Philadelphia granted Historic Philadelphia, Inc. a license to perform improvements to Franklin Square, including installation of the historic Philadelphia Park Liberty Carousel, a Philadelphia-themed miniature golf course, new park benches, lighting and landscaping and restoration of the restrooms and the historic fountain. As a result of the 2006 improvements, historic Franklin Square, one of the five original open space parks planned by William Penn during the late 17th century, has been revitalized and reactivated. Located adjacent to Independence Mall, the Constitution Center and Old City, the Square now 5 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 provides an open and inviting space for outdoor recreation and entertainment, creating a positive pedestrian experience and premier civic and tourist destination. Under the sublease with PAID, Historic Philadelphia, Inc. will manage and maintain the improvements in Franklin Square. Revenues Historic Philadelphia, Inc. receives from its operations in Franklin Square will help pay for maintenance and operation of improvements to the Square. The lease to PAID and further sublease to Historic Philadelphia, Inc. will not impose any financial obligation on the City at any time. Therefore, this lease and operating arrangement is consistent with the Fairmount Park Commission's policy to support development that benefits Fairmount Park and relieves the City of financial obligations. This agreement further implements recommendations in the Park's 6 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 Strategic Plan by increasing the quality and quantity of park amenities available to our residents, workers and visitors, while establishing new partnerships to improve, maintain and program our public spaces. I appear before you today to pledge the support of the Fairmount Park Commission and staff for this legislation and respectfully ask that City Council approve Bill 070394. I would also like to thank all of the Commissioners and staff of the Park, the Law Department, the Mayor's Office, Historic Philadelphia, Inc., most particularly, Amy Needle, who we've worked with very closely, for all their hard work on revitalizing Franklin Square. I also ask that the rules be suspended so the ordinance may be passed upon the second reading of Council, and I would be glad to answer any questions.
Thank you. Ms. Needle, do you have 7 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 testimony?
Committee members, my name is Amy Needle and I am President and CEO of Historic Philadelphia. I am happy to be here today on behalf of the Board of Directors of Historic Philadelphia in support of Council Bill 9 070394. In 2003, on the heels of the opening of the National Constitution Center, the new Liberty Bell Center and Independence Visitors Center, Governor Rendell asked me to help create and run a new tourism initiative as a part of Historic Philadelphia. The goals were to connect the dots, both historically and geographically, for people in the historic area, to offer some high touch to all the immerging high tech, to keep visitors here longer and to make history fun. The end result was the creation of Once Upon a Nation with Benstitute-trained storytellers, 13 of 8 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 them throughout the historic district, adventure tours and performances and the restoration of Franklin Square. For over three years, we worked very closely with Mark and the staff of Fairmount Park to ensure that while we provided entertainment in the Square, like the Philadelphia Park Liberty Carousel and Philly Mini Golf and the playgrounds, we preserved and enhanced the green space as William Penn intended. Before we took any steps, we met with various community organizations, including the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, Project HOME, Children's Village Childcare Center and many others, whose continual use of the park was integral to our planning and decision-making. With the help of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia and several foundations, Historic Philadelphia raised six and a half million dollars to rebuild the 9 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 Square, and on July 31st of 2006, we reopened Franklin Square. In addition to the amusements that I mentioned earlier, we restored the original fountain, installed new lighting, benches, walkways, bathrooms and provided 24-hour security. In less than a year, Franklin Square has seen over 350,000 people, both visitors and residents. What started off as one element of a much greater tourism initiative has grown into a viable green space and park for the neighboring communities as well. I would like to thank the Fairmount Park Commission and staff, as well as the City Council and City of Philadelphia for allowing us to give this park back to the City. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. Are there questions from the Committee for this panel? 10 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 Councilwoman Tasco.
What rate will they pay under the lease for the use of the land? Is there a monthly income to you?
Do you generate any revenue at all? Does Fairmount Park get any revenue at all from this project?
Our partnership agreement from the beginning was the fact that Historic Philadelphia, Inc., as Amy testified, would raise six and a half million dollars to restore the square, which they have done, and would program 11 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 it, maintain it and operate it for the life of the lease. So they have basically taken what was a fairly rundown public amenity, very few people went there, and they've significantly improved it far beyond what the financial capabilities of Fairmount Park ever would have been to do given our capital budget constraints. So we saw it as a very wise investment of a way to bring a new partner and new capital resources into the park.
And, Amy, how much do you intend to generate in terms of revenue each year?
Well, it's still -- we're still not exactly sure because, of course, we haven't had a full year of operation yet. We just opened July of last year. Any revenue that we receive goes directly back into the maintenance and upkeep of the park, including the 24-hour security.
But most 12 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 of the improvements you've done -- I guess all of the improvements you've made have been through contributions?
To the Fairmount Park, correct me if I'm wrong, Living Flame Memorial, how are we dealing with that? How is that being protected or funded or maintained?
I'll turn it over to Amy in a moment, but from the beginning of our discussions, we required -- and Amy and her organization certainly agreed -- to maintain the Police and Firemen's Memorial and, in fact, they have done some enhancements to it. So I'll turn it over to Amy. 13 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394
From the beginning, one of the partners that we started to talk to before we even began the process was the police and firefighters organizations that help maintain the Living Flame Memorial. We always and they always originally told us that they were interested in moving the Memorial to Foglietta Plaza, and then I think when they saw now how many people come to Franklin Square and that it can certainly be a tribute location, they are now interested in working with us to help rebuild a more permanent and professional memorial. So we're continuing to work with them on that, and we will be helping them with fundraising opportunities to maintain the new memorial.
So with your plan, there will be no issue with relocating or we will never have a situation where the Living Flame Memorial will not exist? 14 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394
No. We always intended for it to stay, and that is our hope that we've intended it to stay. In fact, one of the locations of one of our storytelling benches is in Franklin Square and one of the stories that we tell there are of fallen police and firefighters, and we're working very closely with both organizations to continue that process.
One of the nice things about it being there is its proximity to Police Headquarters and not so far away from Fire Headquarters, and when visitors do come to visit our Police Headquarters, I've seen many of them visit the Square because they've been told about that monument. So it's good to hear that. Thank you.
I'll just add too that this year at the Memorial ceremony that they do every year in May, we had a special tent, hospitality tent, and it just sort of shows that what we're going 15 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 to try and do in the future to build that ceremony and to continue to work with both organizations.
Good. It will be good to have the restrooms not locked.
Any other questions for these witnesses? (No response.)
We have multiple meetings going on. We have to now be what's called an octopus. Very well. We will now close the hearing and move to the stated meeting. Can I please ask Councilman Goode to please make a motion on Bill No. 24 070394.
Thank you, 16 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 070394 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next Council session. (Duly seconded.)
Therefore, Bill No. 070394 will be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further moved that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at the next scheduled session of City Council. This concludes the meeting of the Committee on Parks and Recreation. We want to thank you all for your attendance. 17 6/7/07 - PARKS - BILL 070394 (Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs adjourned at 9:35 a.m.) - - - 18 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on June 7, 2007, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)