He increased the retail occupancy from somewhere around 60 percent to near 97 percent, said Ellen Behrle, manager at Willner Realty & Development Co. Last November, he brought in a nine-screen movie theater with a still-in- development food court.
And most recently, pulling on a trick used by former 69th Street property mogul John H. McClatchy, he solved the problem of "the hill."
The new, free "69th St. Trolley," a bus designed to look like an old- fashioned trolley car, began running up and down the street in April to make it easier for the elderly and other weary shoppers to make the climb from Market Street to Walnut Street.
"I've heard a couple of people make the comment that it's a good thing the trolley's here because if it wasn't they wouldn't have come up the hill today," said Woolworth & Co. assistant manager Michael Anding, whose store is just at the top of the slope.
Leonard Alsop, who is a part-time security officer at Lerner's, shared Anding's enthusiasm for the bus.
"If it wasn't for that trolley, a lot of people when they get off that bus, they'd look up at that hill and turn around and go back where there's no hill," Alsop said. "I'd like to shake that gentleman's (Willner's) hand. He's helping people as well as business."
On a beautiful sunny afternoon last week, a regular stream of riders boarded the shiny red and green trolley, which had its back windows removed to take full advantage of a light breeze.
Driver Wendell Jones, 27, a former Philadelphia school bus driver, was playing a cassette by saxophonist Kenny G on the trolley's stereo. Jones, who is allowed to choose his own music as long as it's not something too loud, such as rap or heavy metal, has become popular enough with several of the trolley's regular riders that he usually takes home an extra $12 in tips each day.
