The latest promise: a "family entertainment center," to be built by Midwestern shopping-center developer Mel Simon, who was lured to town with $62 million in taxpayer subsidies. They're talking about theme restaurants and shopping and an aerial tram that sounds like a hare-brained scheme from a "Simpsons" episode.
Construction begins this fall.
Thus, the Daily News' Labor Day weekend Yo Festival, which drew thousands despite rainy, muggy weather, was one of the final events at the site's Great Plaza. Soon, the familiar granite-stepped amphitheater and its tattered food stands will be replaced by dazzling neon and dancing fountains.
Its backers say this finally is the project that transforms the mostly fallow 12-acre Delaware River waterfront site into a "destination attraction."
Funny thing: While the city waited all those years, its people somehow turned the Great Plaza into its own quirky, decidedly Philadelphian destination.
Yeah, for years its most remarkable feature was a staircase that went nowhere. And it will be forever plagued by the annoying whine of traffic from I-95.
But, like a soft pretzel stacked inside a dumpy street-corner vendor cart, the Great Plaza had become - despite its unbecoming appearance - a beloved fixture in our town.
Over the years, millions have sung and danced and frolicked to jazz and blues concerts. We welcomed in the year with fireworks and saluted history with the appearance of tall ships. We shared our diverse culture at scores of ethnic festivals. And, of course, we munched pretzels and hoagies and cheesesteaks-with.
Meryl Levitz, chairwoman of the Penn's Landing board, was reminiscing about the Great Plaza the other day.
