Philadelphia City Council Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, 13 Apr 2023

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From YouTube: Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs 4-13-2023

Description

The Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing on Thursday, April 13, 2023 to hear testimony on the following item:

220969
An Ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to accept a historically-designated building from 2000 Arch Associates LP, which will move and reinstall the building on City property, under certain terms and conditions.

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Thank you good afternoon before we begin the public hearing, I would like to make the following announcement. Due to the continuing threat to Public Health from covet 19. city council committees are currently meeting remotely. We are using Microsoft teams to make these remote hearings possible instructions for how the public May View and offer public testimony at public hearings of council committee committees are included in the public hearing, notices that are published in The, Daily, News, Inquirer and legal Intelligencer prior to the hearings and can also be used and can also be found on phlcouncil.com I.

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Now note that the hour and I'm going to ask the clerk to please call the roll to take attendance members that are in attendance will. Please indicate that you are present when your name is called also say a few brief words when responding so that your image will be displayed on screen. When you speak.

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Council, member Johnson president council member Thomas.

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President council, member Jones president council member Brooks.

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Council, member Harrity president councilman got the air.

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um Good afternoon Madam, chair and colleagues present, okay, Madam chair.

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Am president, thank you. A quorum of the committee's president is hearing is now called to order. This is the public hearing of the committee on Committee of the committee on parks, recreation and cultural Affairs regarding bill number 220969.

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I'm going to ask the clerk, will you please read the title of the bill.

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Number 220-969 authorizing the commissioner of public property, on behalf of the city of Philadelphia, to accept the historically designated building from 2000 Arts Associates LP, which will move and reinstall the building on city property under certain terms and conditions.

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Thank you before we begin to hear testimony from the witnesses we have for today. Everyone who has been invited to the public meeting to testify should be aware that this public hearing is being recorded, because the hearing is public participants and viewers have no reasonable expectation of privacy. By continuing to be in the meeting, you are consenting to being recorded additionally prior to recognizing members for the questions or comments that they have for Witnesses.

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I will know for the record at this time that we will use the chat feature available in Microsoft teams to allow members to signify that they want to be recognized uh and and in order to comply with the sunshine act. The chat feature must only be used for that purpose.

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Mr Clark. Will you please call the first panel. We have to testify today for Bill number 220-969.

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The first Speaker we have today is Bob Allen.

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Can you hear me am I? Yes, let me prove clearly excellent. Thank you good afternoon committee, chair bass, Vice chair Jones and committee members. My name is Bob Allen and I serve as director of property and concessions, management for the Department of Parks and Recreation I'm pleased to appear before you today, on behalf of the department in support of Bill number 220-969 introduced by the council president.

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The ordinance would authorize the city of Philadelphia through the department of public property, to accept a small, one-story, historically designated building to be relocated and reinstalled on the grounds of Sedgley porterhouse in East Park, and become part of Fairmount Park system under the jurisdiction of Parks and Recreation.

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The building in question, which we simply call the Gulf Station, was constructed as a gas station by the gulf refining company in 1930 and designated as historic by the historical Commission in 1981, because it was considered one of uh if not the last surviving early gas stations in the city.

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The Gulf Station has already been moved from 20th in Arch to allow Parkway Corporation to begin construction of the building that will become the national headquarters of Chubb Parkway and the department have agreed on a construction license and donation agreement, which is in the final stages of completion.

D

We, as recently as last evening, have been exchanging information about the indemnification and I know that the completed agreement will be amended as an exhibit onto the bill to finalize its reinstallation and gift to the city.

D

So the administration is requesting that city council approve bill number 220-969 to permit public property to accept the donation of the Gulf Station, with a request for a suspension of the rules such that the report from committee will be deemed to be a first reading.

D

So thank you. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

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Thank you we're going to hold the questions. uh Thank you Mr Allen, and can we have the the clerk called the next speaker? Please.

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Hey Madam chair, then Madam chair. The next speaker is Wale mabugandre.

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Good afternoon this is Wale mabaganji with Park wake. Can everyone hear me clearly thank you very much uh good afternoon again, chair bass, um thanks for the opportunity to testify. Today, as I mentioned, my name is walima boganj I'm vice president of real estate and the project executive at Parkway corporation uh responsible for the design, Development and Construction of the new project for Chubb Ace American Insurance Company at 2000 Arch, um as Bob mentioned.

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We are pleased to be able to contribute this historic and useful building to the city as an addition to the Sedgley porterhouse site in Fairmont Park.

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The relocation made possible, through collaboration with council president Clark and various City departments, along with the approval of the historic commission and the art commission, and facilitation by the department of parks and rec, will allow for the full development of our building at 2000 Arch Street, which is a 551 000 gross square foot professional office building at a cost of over 408 million, which will provide between 200 and 600 construction jobs while retaining 1, 200 permanent office jobs and adding another 1800 new office jobs.

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um If there are any questions for me as part of the development team, I'd be happy to answer them at your convenience.

A

Today, I don't have any questions for either witness, but I would open it up to my colleagues to see if there are any questions among my colleagues and um I, don't see anyone um if I'm missing you, you can just jump in here. Somehow, I don't see you and you have the question, but it doesn't look like there are any questions.

A

um So thank you for your testimony and let me ask um if there are any other Witnesses or panels to testify Mr Clerk.

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Madam chair, that is all these speakers that we have for today. Okay,.

A

Well, there being no further questions from members of the committee and no further witnesses to testify on Bill number 220969 I will ask if there is anyone else present in this hearing whose name we have failed to call and that wishes to offer testimony on the bills being considered today.

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And hearing none I want to thank the panels and Witnesses for their participation. Today we value your opinions and I now invite all panels and witnesses to please disconnect from the hearing before we go into our public meeting on the bill. We will now pause the proceedings briefly, as multiple participants leave the hearing.

A

All right- and this concludes the public hearing of the committee- we'll now go into a public meeting to consider the action to be taken on the bill before this committee today.

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And we're going to ask the clerk to please call the roll again.

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Councilmember Johnson.

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Oh uh I'm, sorry all right, councilman I'm here. Can you hear me I'm.

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Before you again I'm sorry.

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I'm here all right hold on hold on pause one. Second, uh my apologies, I think I skipped a step, so I want to proceedly make sure that we're correct um and I want to just formally state that we're now going into the public meeting. So we have into the public hearing and we're now going into the public meeting um and now Mr clerk. If you could call the roll.

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Council member Johnson here council member Thomas.

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Council member Jones.

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Council member Brooks council member Harrity.

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Present president.

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And council member Gauthier present okay, Madam chair and.

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Of course I am present, and so we have maintained a forum. uh Thank you. A forum of the committee is present and the committee meeting is now called to order and uh we want to do a report on Bill number 220-969 uh chair, recognizes council member garthier for a motion on Bill number 220-969.

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You, madam chair I, move that bill number 220-969 be reported from this committee with the favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at our next session of council.

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Second, second, second,.

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Thank you, the chair neck, the chair notes for the record, the councilmember Harry seconds. The motion. It's been moved and properly seconded that bill number 220-969 be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of council. All of those in favor of this motion will signify by saying aye.

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Does anyone opposed those opposed the eyes have it? The motion carries.

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And actually I'm sorry I want to uh okay. No, there was a rule suspension, okay, very good. um This concludes the business before the committee on Parks and Recreation and cultural Affairs. Thank you very much for your attendance today and have a great afternoon thanks bye, everybody.

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