A $100 million beautification project was announced along South Broad Street, bringing new greenery, lighting and public art to a 10-block stretch from City Hall to Washington Avenue.
The leadership and board of Avenue of the Arts Inc. announced its vision on July 9 for a transformative plan to reimagine the Avenue of the Arts district into a lush, green arts park. The project, titled “Avenue of the Arts 2.0,” is designed by architecture, design and planning firm Gensler and landscape and urban planning practice OJB.
The Avenue of the Arts is known for its luxury hotels as well as its famous music, art and theater venues. It includes the Academy of Music, Wilma Theatre, Kimmel Center and Suzanne Roberts Theatre, among many others. The revitalization plan also includes a stretch of South Philly between South Street and Washington Avenue that is home to the Clef Club, Brandywine Workshops and Archives, High School for Creative and Performing Arts, Lincoln Square and Philadelphia Beacons.
According to Avenue of the Arts Inc., the plan envisions the 10-block pedestrian-friendly arts park with verdant landscaping, café seating, aerial sculptures, rotating public art, new outdoor performance spaces and greened medians adorned with public art. Enhanced lighting will accentuate this new urban oasis and make it a day-and-night destination.
“We’ve achieved much as an organization over the last 31 years,” said Avenue of the Arts Inc. Executive Director Laura Burkhardt. “Today, the Avenue of the Arts is one of the city’s most dynamic mixed-use corridors with thousands of residents and millions of visitors each year. This initiative will add ‘world-class arts city’ to Philadelphia’s renown as a hub of history and sports.”
According to Avenue of the Arts Inc., the 1993 inception plan that created Avenue of the Arts cost $378.4 million and generated $157 million in revenue annually, recouping the investment in under three years. The new $100 million investment is also forecasted to have a substantial economic impact on the regional economy.
“It is a testament to what’s possible when passionate, civic-minded leaders come together with a shared vision and purpose,” said Avenue of the Arts Inc. board chairwoman Dianne Semingson.
On July 1, residents began moving into luxury apartments built during the first phase of the $400 million One Thousand One complex at Broad Street and Washington Avenue. When finished, it will include 1,400 new luxury apartments and a 44,000-square-foot Giant grocery store. Further north, the Center City District will open its headquarters on the Avenue in November, joining the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia and many of the city’s top advertising and creative agencies.
“Avenue of the Arts 2.0 will build resilience for existing arts groups and businesses and stimulate new investment so that we can operate from a position of strength,” said Burkhardt. “Making the Avenue highly attractive so more people want to be here is a project imperative. UArts’ heart-wrenching sudden closure echoes that importance.”
The Avenue will have plenty of new green additions as the plan imagines the Avenue’s generous sidewalks with outdoor seating surrounded by lush green spaces. The street medians will also be in full bloom with seasonal flowers, and building fronts will sprout walls of greenery.
The plan will be completed in phases, block by block. The first phase will be between Spruce and Pine streets and is scheduled to be finished by the spring of 2026, just in time for an enormous year of events in the city that will include Philadelphia’s 250th celebration, FIFA’s World Cup finals and the MLB All-Star Game.
“Avenue of the Arts 2.0 leverages the enormous public and private investments made over the last 30 years so this dynamic street may reach its fullest potential as a powerful economic driver for the region,” said Avenue of the Arts Inc. board member and real estate developer Carl Dranoff. “The plan takes our iconic street to the next level, transforming it into a lush boulevard where residents, theatergoers and visitors from around the world will want to come, stay and enjoy again and again because it’s so beautiful and welcoming.”
