I'm not sure why we're even talking about demolishing the Fashion District. Is it perfect? No, but it's a hell of a lot better than what was there. Plus, the average tourist won't know any different and would ACTUALLY like this mall. It even meets the street much better than what was there. The food scene is decent with City Winery, Hoots Wings, and your typical suburban mall stuff. It has an AMC Theater, Candytopia, Wonderspaces and a Round One.
Look at the shopping line up - Armani Exchange, Aerie, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Burlington, Columbia, DSW, Eddie Bauer, Express, Forever 21, Francesca's, Gamestop, Guess, H&M, Hollister, Journey's, Kate Spade, Levi's, Lids, Nike, Pandora, Primark, Sephora, Spencer's, Sunglass Hut, Ulta Beauty and Zumiez with still more room to add more. It not only fills a retail void that Center City was missing with a lot of these stores, OR stores that are no longer available on Chestnut or Walnut (American Eagle, Guess, Forever 21, Kate Spade, Ulta all closed...), but it also reads like a suburban mall dream playbook. I know the idea of suburbs gets under most people's skin on this forum, but what do you expect? This is EXACTLY the type of retail that should be at Market East. Almost every tourist to Philadelphia IF NOT EVERY tourist in Philadelphia will filter through this area. MOST of those tourists are suburbanites.
Fashion District is HARDLY the thing holding Market East back, and it's certainly improved by leaps and bounds. The city needs to do a better job of pushing the seedy characters and the homeless along. This area has a Macy's, TJ Maxx, Five Below, Ross, Marshall's, the Fashion District, the Convention Center, Reading Terminal Market, the Declaration House, and sits between Old City and the Parkway - probably two of the most visited areas in Philadelphia. We need the highrise on the 13th and Market lot to get off of the ground, we need the entire south half of the 1000 block of Market to be demolished and replaced with one or two highrises. We need the buildings between Ludlow, 10th and Market to be demolished (obviously keeping the historic church) and replaced with a highrise. We need that crumby Rite Aid and the old Burger King to be demolished and replaced with a new highrise on the 700 block (and some of those other buildings on the south end need some TLC, we need the parking garage Brandywine now owns demolished and replaced with a highrise and MOST IMPORTANTLY, we need the 800 block of market gaping Disney Hole eyesore to be filled in. I'm now in full support of the Sixers building their stadium here with two highrises that front Market Street just like TD Garden in Boston. Once all these lots fill in, we should absolutely be pulling for stores like a Disney Store, Legoland, Hershey's Chocolate World, and other touristy things.
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