daily record w. philly hotel rises2010/12/09 · the hotel is the first part of a rede-velopment...

PhiladelphiaDaily Record

Vol. I No. 115 Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia December 9, 2010

GROUND WAS BROKEN this morning on new extended-stay hotel in University City. New Homewood

Suites by Hilton will cater to rising travel connected with area hospitals and uni-

versities. It represents further confidence in major development in W. Phila. be-

yond 40th Street. See story P. 4.

W. Philly Hotel Rises

2 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 9 DECEMBER, 2010

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Mayor Michael Nutter today called

efforts by Superintendent Arlene

Ackerman and the Philadelphia

School District to increase the per-

centage of contracting opportuni-

ties awarded to disadvantaged

businesses, including minority-

owned businesses, the right thing

to do.

He said, “My administration has

strongly advocated for increasing

the number and size of minority-

owned businesses in Philadelphia.

Only by developing a truly diverse

economy in terms of employment

and business ownership can the

City achieve lasting prosperity.

“Along with tax reform, growth in

the Eds, Meds, Hospitality and the

new clean-energy sector, develop-

ing minority business is a key ele-

ment of our administration’s

economic-development strategy. It

will create jobs in communities

where unemployment runs high

and create entrepreneurial wealth

where too little exists.

“The Inclusion Works strategy,

which we announced last February,

is a smart plan that is helping mi-

nority-, women- and disabled-

owned businesses grow and gain

an increasing share of city con-

tracting opportunities. In the last

year, the total percentage of disad-

vantaged businesses that won City

contracts increased by 10% to 22%

of the total.

“The City currently works closely

with the School District in setting

participation rates for contracts

more than $100,000, and the City

will continue to work with the

School District to increase the par-

ticipation rate of minority firms on

all ranges of contracts.”

State Rep. Ronald Waters, chair-

man of the Pennsylvania Legisla-

tive Black Caucus, also rallied with

many of his delegation members at

noon today to show their support

for the work contract policy of

School Superintendent Dr. Arlene

Ackerman. He cited the “lack of

fairness in the recent criticism of

the top school administrator, point-

ing to her promoting more diver-

sity in the issuance of school

contracts.”

Nutter, Black Lawmakers Support Ackerman Work Policy

9 DECEMBER, 2010 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 3

Lawyers for former House Speaker

John Perzel and his co-defendants

Wednesday asked a Dauphin Co.

judge to dismiss all criminal

charges against them in an alleged

scheme to use state employees and

equipment to work on Republican

campaigns. Judge Richard Lewis

gave no indication when he will

rule.

One argument offered by a lawyer

for Perzel’s former Chief of Staff

Brian Preski was the State cannot

be a victim. Deputy Attorney Gen-

eral Kenneth Brown said taxpayers

are the ultimate victims. “The

Commonwealth would be in a

much bigger deficit if people (just)

came in the Capitol and cleaned

out what they wanted.”

The trial, originally set for April,

was moved to August by Lewis.

William Fetterhoff, a Harrisburg

attorney representing a GOP

staffer, said there will “probably be

hundreds of witnesses and thou-

sands of exhibits.”

Lawyers for the defense stated the

equipment purchases were used for

legitimate government purposes,

and if they were used for politics as

well, that’s not a crime.

Perzel Challenges Corruption Charges

E.P.A. REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR Shawn Garvin gave SEPTA an Energy Star award for compre-

hensive retrofitting and replanning of its large HQ at 1234 Market Street. Award is received here by

Phila. Sustainability Director Katherine Gajewski and SEPTA General Mgr. Joseph Casey.

SEPTA Gets Award For Green HQ


Campus Apartments broke ground

this morning on an upscale, all-

suite, extended-stay hotel at 4109

Walnut Street in University City.

Slated for completion in spring

2012, the hotel will be part of the

Homewood Suites by Hilton®

brand. It will cater to the needs of

the many professionals, patients,

families and other out-of-town visi-

tors who require longer-term ac-

commodations in close proximity

to the University of Pennsylvania,

Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospi-

tal and other academic and medical

facilities in the area.

University City has blossomed into

a destination for world-class health

care, life sciences and higher edu-

cation. “For over 50 years, we’ve

been a partner of the University of

Pennsylvania and a pioneer in the

redevelopment of University City,”

stated David Adelman, CEO of

Campus Apartments. “Homewood

Suites University City is another

way outside of residential housing

that we can help the University and

the surrounding health systems and

schools achieve their goals by

leveraging private capital for their

real-estate development needs.”

“There is high demand in Univer-

sity City for a facility in which pa-

tients and their family members

can reside comfortably and in a

convenient location while pursuing

required treatments and therapies,”

explained Craig Carnaroli, execu-

tive VP of the University of Penn-

sylvania.

The 110,000-square-foot hotel will

include 136 suites, featuring full

kitchens, dining tables and separate

work areas with phone and compli-

mentary internet access. Additional

amenities such as a complimentary

shuttle service, complimentary

breakfast and guest receptions, ac-

tivity and fitness facilities, indoor

pool, snack shop and dining and

meeting spaces are designed to

provide guests with the necessary

resources to ease the burden of ex-

tended-stay travel.

The approximately $50 million

project is jointly financed through

the Commonwealth of Pennsylva-

nia, the Philadelphia Industrial De-

velopment Corp., The

Reinvestment Fund, US Bank

Community Development Corp.

and Beneficial Bank.

The project will create approxi-

mately 300 new full-time and tem-

porary jobs for hotel and

construction workers and will at-

tract ongoing traffic to local busi-

nesses.

Designed to meet LEED certifica-

tion standards, the hotel will also

be an example for progressive sus-

tainable architecture within the

hospitality industry. Elements such

as a green roof, high-efficiency

MEP systems, on-site storm water

management and low-flow fixtures

are incorporated into the plans to

reduce consumption, optimize per-

formance and control costs.

The hotel is also the first commer-

cial project for the City of Philadel-

phia’s new EnergyWorks program,

which provides low-interest loans

to help finance sustainable building

and redevelopment. Mayor

Michael A. Nutter said, “We’re es-

pecially thrilled to see Campus

Apartments is investing for the

long term, with a LEED-certified

project that will be sustainable both

environmentally and economi-

cally.”

The hotel is the first part of a rede-

velopment plan for the 4109 Wal-

nut Street property, with an

additional 150,000-square-feet of-

fice building to be erected at this

site later. Campus Apartments’

Philadelphia-based team is rounded

out by Alesker & Dundon Archi-

tects LLC, general contractor L.F.

Driscoll Co. and interior designer

Floss Barber, Inc.

Work Starts On New W. Philly Hotel

City Council’s Committee on

Commerce & Economic Develop-

ment has approved the “Job Cre-

ation Opportunity Extension Bill”,

introduced by City Councilman W.

Wilson Goode, Jr., extending a

two-year employment stimulus

program under which a credit

against the City’s business privi-

lege taxes will be given to busi-

nesses that create new jobs within

the City of Philadelphia. The busi-

nesses will receive a $3,000 credit

for each new job created for tax

years 2012 and 2013, in addition to

2010 and 2011.

The Job Creation Tax Credit Pro-

gram was established in May 2002.

It offers a credit against the firm’s

Business Privilege Tax liability for

each new job created. The program

can be utilized by companies of

any type or size located anywhere

in the city.

Through 2009, 60 firms have par-

ticipated in the program, promising

the creation of 4,463 jobs. The five

year period allowed by the initial

ordinance to create new jobs has

expired for 22 of these 60 firms. As

a result, the promised job creation

may be reduced from 4,463 to

2,790. To date, 1,026 jobs have

been certified as created, resulting

in the issuance of $1,630,297 in tax

certificates, of which $1,502,322

has been claimed.

Goode said, “This legislation will

help to create more jobs within

Philadelphia. As we work toward

economic recovery, business and

job growth will require the right

kind of financial stimulus. The ex-

tension of this effort would expand

upon the almost 2800 jobs to be

created under my existing pro-

gram.”


Dec. 8-

Fire Fighters Local 22 and Po-

lice FOP Lodge 5 host plaque

dedication honoring 100th an-

niversary of largest loss of life

which killed 13 firefighters, one

police officer and two fire

horses at Plaza Complex on 2nd

St. south of Girard Ave., 11 a.m.

For info Jerry Kots (267) 549-

6326.

Dec. 14-

Portrait presentation of Hon.

Sheldon C. Jelin at City Hall,

Room 653, 4 p.m. Reception

following in Conversation Hall.

Dec. 18-

Caribbean Night Happy Hour

fundraiser for Lawrence Clark

for City Council at Banana’s

876 Lounge, 5500 Rising Sun

Ave., 6-9 p.m. Donation $10 in-

cludes food.; donate blanket for

homeless and it’s $8. Make

checks to Clark4Change, P.O.

Box 27154, Phila., PA 19118.

Jan. 27-

Edward J. Lowry, founder of

Phila. Veterans MultiService

and Education Ctr., will be hon-

ored on retirement at Waterfall

Rm. in Plumbers Local 690

Union Hall, 2791 Southampton

Rd., Cocktails 6-8 p.m., fol-

lowed by Tribute Program.

Tickets $65. Order by phone

(215) 238-8050. Event Chair Ed

Keenan, Board Chair Jim Mc-

Nesby and Exec. Dir. Marsha

Four.

ATTENTION

PUBLIC NOTICES

ADVERTISERSWe publish various types of Legal

Notices including: Estate Notices,

Name Changes, Fictitious Name,

Articles of Incorporation and

more, Call

John David for more

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City Council Committee Extends Job Creation Opportunity


Craig White

To Head PGWThe Philadelphia Facilities Management Corp., the

nonprofit corporation that manages the Philadelphia

Gas Works, has announced Craig E. White will be the

next President and CEO of PGW. White’s three-year

appointment will begin on Mar. 1, 2011, at the conclu-

sion of President Thomas Knudsen’s term.

“For a decade, Tom Knudsen and Craig White were a

leadership team at PGW, working to strengthen the

company’s fiscal and operational functions, establish-

ing a customer-oriented culture for the benefit of

ratepayers and taxpayers and positioning the company

on a sustainable course,” said Mayor Michael A. Nut-

ter.

Before his appointment to President and CEO, White

was PGW’s executive VP and COO for 10 years.

White is a 1978 graduate of Kutztown University and

earned an MBA in Financial Management in 1986

from Drexel University. He began his career at PGW

in 1980 and has held numerous positions within the

company during his more than 30 years of service.

“PGW has accomplished so much in the last 10 years,

and I’m committed to continuing our current reforms

and business improvements. It’s an exciting time, not

only at PGW, but in the gas industry as a whole,” said

White.

White served as EVP and Acting COO and was instru-

mental in working with employees, to improve PGW’s

operational and financial health. White’s focus for the

future will be to continue to ensure safety and reliabil-

ity as well as continuous improvement in all facets of

the business. Additionally, under his leadership, the

company has had back to back-to-back union-contract

ratifications and extensions that have led to improved

operational efficiencies and service to PGW’s 500,000

customers.

In July, White was appointed by US Secretary of En-

ergy Steven Chu to serve on the National Petroleum

Council. He is a member of the Leadership Council

and on the Board of the American Public Gas Associa-

tion, serves on the Executive Board of the Philadel-

phia Citizens Crime Commission and is a member of

the Board of Directors for Widener University’s

School of Business Administration.

Green Party Acts To BuildMembershipThe monthly meeting of the Green Party of Philadel-

phia on Nov. 30 provided a look at a rejuvenated polit-

ical organization. Sixteen registered Greens and their

neighbors gathered to hear a summary of 2010 cam-

paigns and to envision more dynamic campaigning in

2011.

The meeting was held in the comfortable Fellowship

Hall at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the

Restoration in Mount Airy. It was the first in a series

of Green Party meetings to be held in various neigh-

borhoods on a rotating basis.

Much discussion focused on Hugh Giordano, who re-

cently ran for State Representative in the 194th Dist.

(Roxborough/Manayunk). Giordano received 23% of

the vote in the Philadelphia portion of his District

(18% overall), and he ran on issues including corrup-

tion in Harrisburg, the poor education received by

working-class children, and workers’ rights on and off

the job. Giordano was the first GPOP candidate to re-

ceive significant support from organized labor.

As part of the discussion of Giordano’s campaign,

Chris Robinson, Green Party organizer in the 59th

Ward (Germantown) pointed out a problem faced by

Giordano. Despite a large investment in voter educa-

tion and mobilization, some people did not vote for

him because they were unsure of what the Green Party

stood for. Robinson recommended a new Green City

Committee devote energy to increasing its name

recognition among voters.

The Green Party had lost 20% of its membership be-

tween 2007 and 2009. Robinson explained that 2010

was a turning point for the Green Party because it

showed a 6% growth in registered members. Robinson

predicted that a new GPOP City Committee will do

more neighborhood outreach and will run several vig-

orous electoral campaigns in 2011.

Alex Gillett, a Green from West Philadelphia, said

when GPOP nominates candidates for office in 2011,

Greens should give them more financial support.

Julia Swain, partner in the

Philadelphia office of Fox Roth-

schild LLP, ascends to chair of

the Family Law Section of the

Philadelphia Bar Association for

2011.

Swain concentrates her practice in

the areas of family law, including

divorce, custody, support, equitable

distribution and abuse. She litigates

family law cases in the five-county

Philadelphia area, including appel-

late courts, and negotiates settle-

ments and prenuptial agreements.

Swain is a frequent writer and

speaker on family-law topics, such

as prenuptial agreements, custody

laws and domestic violence, among

others. Her articles have appeared

in publications, including the

Philadelphia Bar Reporter, TheLegal Intelligencer and Philadel-phia Magazine. She has presentedfamily law topics for the Philadel-

phia Bar Association Bench Bar

Conferences, the Pennsylvania Bar

Institute and Gratz College.

Recognized for her outstanding pro

bono work, Swain received the

“Pro Bono Roll of Honor” Award

from the 1st Judicial Dist. in 2009,

in addition to receiving the White

Hat Award from the Legal Clinic

for the Disabled the same year.

Julia Swain of Fox Rothschild Leads PBA Family Law



The City of Philadelphia’s visual

art exhibition program Art In City

Hall, in collaboration with the Na-

tional Arts Program Foundation,

presents The 11th National Arts

Program at Philadelphia, an exhibi-

tion featuring works of art by City

government employees and their

families, including children. The

exhibition opens to the public

today and runs through Feb. 18,

2011. It is located on the fifth floor

of City Hall, NE corner.

This year’s exhibition includes five

classifications: Professional, Inter-

mediate, Amateur, Teen 13-18 and

Youth 12 and Under. The artwork

is to be juried by Noreen Shanfel-

ter, executive director of the Uni-

versity City Arts League. The

Best-in-Show award was chosen by

Deputy Mayor and Managing Di-

rector Richard Negrin.

Participants of this year’s exhibit

come from many different depart-

ments and agencies in City govern-

ment, including DHS, Law,

Commerce, Free Library, Prisons,

Police, Fire, Water, Courts, City

Council and more.

Best In Show

Peter Appelbaum, DHS

Professional

Lara Cantu-Hertzler, Law Dept.

family member, 1st place

Carl Burwell III, Prisons Dept.,

2nd place

Juanita Beverly, Prisons Dept. 3rd

place

Intermediate

John C. Anderson, PWD, 1st place

Diane Wilson, MOCS, 2nd place

Barbara Koch, Courts, 3rd place

Joseph Sannutti, Behavorial

Health, honorable mention

Amateur

Jeffrey Easter, OFM, 1st place

Deborah Cantu-Hertzler, Law

Dept. family member, 2nd place

Donna Wyche, DHS, 3rd place

Barbara Evans, PROC, honorable

mention

Teens (family members)

Hillary Jia Do, DOT, 1st place

Angelica Clark, City Controllers’s

Office, 2nd place

Alexander Giacobetti, City Coun-

cil, 3rd place

Hillary Jia Do, DOT, honorable

mention

Youth Under 12 (Family Mem-

bers)

Megan Horst, Revenue, 1st place

Jhade Gales, Courts, 2nd place

Halle Anderson, City Council, 3rd

place

Gabrile, Totesau, Police Dept.,

honorable mention

Since 1985, The National Arts Pro-

gram® has provided scholarships

for continuing art education, cer-

tificates of participation, and cash

awards to public employees and

their family members who partici-

pate in this annual event. It is spon-

sored and funded by The National

Arts Program Foundation of

Malvern, Pa.

Art In City Hall is a collaborative

effort between the City’s Office of

Arts, Culture and the Creative

Economy and the arts community.

Since the program began in 1984,

over 2000 emerging artists have

shown their talents in the hallways

of City Hall through juried group

exhibitions based on specific

themes.

City Hall Celebrates Art By City Workers


“A Parent’s Fantasy - The Per-

fect Babysitter” (from left,

Patrice Seibel and Nicole Nicas-

tro)

by Adam Taxin

Parenting 101: The Musicaltonight opens a three-month run

(through Mar. 6) at the Kimmel

Center’s Innovation Studio. The

show returns after a previous stay

in the same theater during summer

2008.

This musical, effectively a journey

from the first moments of parent-

hood to the first moments of grand-

parenthood, is the brainchild of two

sisters: co-author/co-creator/pro-

ducer Nancy Holson has won five

New England Emmys for the long-

running series of PBS specials

“The News In Revue” and also was

writer of the less neutral Off-

Broadway show Bush Wars; herco-creator sister Susan (also Hol-

son) publishes a family newspaper

in Vermont. For a long time, the

two, according to Nancy Holson,

“had been looking for a project to

do together.”

The songs in the show will very

likely sound familiar to audiences.

Each is a fairly well-known pop or

Broadway song with lyrics modi-

fied to fit into the experience of

parenting. Thus, the show’s four-

person ensemble (Nicole Nicastro,

Stuart Williams, Craig Hanson and

Patrice Seibel, none of whom was

Parenting 101: the Musical ReturnsWith New Cast To Kimmel Center’sInnovation Studio


in the 2008 version) transforms

“Somewhere Over The Rainbow,”

via a childbirth scene, into “Oh

God, When Will The Pain Go.”

The storyline winds its way

through a number of songs whose

parody targets should be pretty ob-

vious, e.g. “Your Son Will Come

Out Tomorrow” and “It’s My Potty,

and I’ll Try If I Want To.” Later, a

10-year-old girl serenades her

mother with “I Will Always Hate

You.”

Some song titles needed no modifi-

cation. Queen’s anthem “We Will

Rock You” involves sleep-deprived

parents desperately trying to coax

their newborn back to sleep.

“Stayin’ Alive” no longer has any-

thing to do with “the New YorkTimes’ effect on man” (whateverthat meant in the first place) but,

rather, according to Holson, de-

scribes how it “feels when you get

in a car with your kid and entrust

your life to them before they’ve

learned how to do it.”

Perhaps predictably, Christmas is

not exempt from satire. At the

City’s Dec. 2 Christmas tree-light-

ing ceremony, cast members, using

the melody of Petula Clark’s

“Downtown,” sang about the “Toy

Store,” which Holson adds is (of

course) “the scary place where are

parents going to end up having to

be.”

The production also contains “The

Truth About Santa Claus” (based

on “Here Comes Santa Claus”)

which is, according to Holson,

about “an older brother trying to

tell his younger brother that there is

no Santa Claus” with the mother

“trying to shush him, bribe him,

anything.” She adds: “This would

have been an obvious one to do at

the Christmas lighting, but we did-

n’t want to offend anybody.”

Holson emphasizes the universal

appeal of the show: “You get any-

body in there, they’re going to

have a good time. Our target audi-

ence is anyone who’s been a par-

ent, but we say our secondary

audience is anyone who’s had a

parent. I should say that, even

though there’s nothing in it that

would offend people, it’s not de-

signed for kids, it’s designed for

adults.”

Finally, Holson encourages those

who saw the previous production

to see the show with a new cast:

“It’s a different cast. It’s a fabulous

new, young cast. They bring differ-

ent things to it. So people who saw

it a while ago, they can see it again,

and it will feel fresh for them.”

daily record w. philly hotel rises2010/12/09 · the hotel is the first part of a rede-velopment...

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