Quote:
Originally Posted by cardeza
they just put like $200m into the FDP and at the end of the day they are all boxes. Replacing the recently rebuilt FDP with a new 18k seat box does not magically energize market street around the clock. I understand all the cool kids hate the FDP but calling it a dinosaur mall 3 years after a major renovation sounds absolutely insane. And I dont care what anyone says the inside is actually nice and unrecognizable vs the gallery.
If you add up how many people visit the FDP vs how many the sixers arena will attract on 100 event nights a year Im not so sure the arena brings in more. FDP is open almost every day and surely employs far more people than the sixers arena will. I will repeat- just because individuals hate the FDP and dont like any of its stores does not mean NO ONE shops there. I could care less about most of the luxury brand stores that so many on here claim we need in order to validate Philadelphia but I would never say they shouldnt exist simply because I would never shop at any of them. There is virtually nothing for sale on Walnut that interests me or would get my dollars but Im all for having all these trendy clicks to bricks retailers open their stores even though they will mostly be empty in terms of foot traffic.
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To address the bold...
It was a mistake not to demolish the mall in 2018. A poorly planned and researched project from the start, most of us predicted it. So it's not insane to suggest the mall be torn down and replaced with a mixed-use plan like across the street. I figured you would at least agree with that idea... I also didn't say anything negative about the retailer offerings in the mall.
Your next statement is anecdotal. Show me stats on those claims... Also, if the Sixers take the approach of TD Garden in Boston and anchor the arena and area with hotels, entertainment, retail, food, etc., it will certainly add plenty of jobs and activity. They could even add the current retailers into the arena plan. I spent time around TD Garden this summer and the area was energized with or without the arena in use.
I agree it's about a greater plan for the area, not just plopping down an arena (3rd time I've said that...), but at the end of the day, we have a laggard stretch of Market Street that is getting worse each month and a transformational proposal on the table... We stick with the status quo, wait for something different, or work with this plan for a solid outcome... But at this point we can agree to disagree on our preferred plans for Market East.
"Couldn't care less".
They weren't empty when I walked by.