The leadership and board of Avenue of the Arts, Inc. announced today its vision for a transformative $100 million plan to reimagine the Avenue of the Arts (aka S. Broad Street) from City Hall to Washington Avenue into a lush, green arts park.
Titled Avenue of the Arts 2.0, this groundbreaking project is designed by world-renowned architecture, design, and planning firm Gensler, and landscape and urban planning practice OJB. The aim is to create a serene and green, arts-inspired attraction in the heart of Center City for residents and visitors alike that creates a more sustainable and livable city for future generations.
The City of Philadelphia demonstrated its vote of confidence with an appropriation of $1 million, marking the first step towards bringing this ambitious vision to life.
Avenue of the Arts 2.0: A New Urban Experience
The plan envisions a 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. Nestled in the heart of Center City will be a new place to hang out with friends, dine, stroll, and enjoy inspiring creativity.
A Legacy of Success
“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.”
A Hub of Performing Arts
With 10,000 performing arts seats and numerous resident arts groups, the Avenue of the Arts boasts cultural activities unmatched in the U.S. outside of Broadway. More dance, music, theater, opera, comedy, and film events occur here annually than the combined home games of Philadelphia’s professional sports teams.
A Thriving Neighborhood
The Avenue of the Arts has evolved into a highly sought-after neighborhood with over 4,000 apartment and condominium residences, six top-brand hotels, dozens of top restaurants, exquisite architecture, and one of the most walkable collections of public art and murals in the U.S.
Avenue newcomers receiving rave reviews include Loch Bar by the Baltimore-based Atlas Restaurant Group with its seafood tavern concept serving lunch and dinner at the corner of Spruce Street. Chase opened a Philadelphia flagship branch, Insomnia Cookies launched its new headquarters and flagship bakery, and Lubert Adler is undertaking a $100 million renovation at the Bellevue. On July 1, 2024, Post Brothers and Tower Investments welcomed the first residents to the $400 million phase one of One Thousand One, a massive apartment complex at Washington Avenue that, when finished, will include 1,400 new luxury apartments and a 44,000-square-foot Giant grocery store. Looking ahead, the Center City District will celebrate the grand opening of 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.
Boosting Economic Resilience
“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.”
Greening Downtown/Environmental Benefits
Greening our urban spaces creates a more sustainable and livable city for future generations. The plan imagines the Avenue’s generous sidewalks with clusters of outdoor seating nestled in lush green spaces. The street medians will be in full bloom and changing seasonally, and building fronts will sprout walls of greenery. Environmental benefits include cleaner air quality, noise reduction, safer street crossings, and better stormwater management, aligning with Mayor Cherelle Parker’s clean and green initiative.
Art Inclusivity
Adding more art to urban spaces creates wonder and the opportunity for engagement. Avenue of the Arts 2.0 brings the arts to the streetscape with pop-up performances, aerial sculptures, colorful banners and wayfinding, eye-level art installations, and dramatic architectural lighting at night. It creates a welcome mat for our art institutions so art can be enjoyed by all, not just ticket holders. Art selection will draw from our deep pool of local talent and engage the public in dialogue.
A New Town Square
The Avenue of the Arts is already the place where we celebrate wins, usher in the new year, and photograph life milestones with City Hall as the backdrop. Its geography connects a diverse melting pot of cultures, ideas, and experiences in the neighborhoods surrounding it, and art is the universal language that unites them.
Building on Past Investments
“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.”
Transformative Potential
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 just 2.5 years. The new $100 million investment is 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,” stated Avenue of the Arts, Inc. board chair Dianne Semingson.
Designed By
Avenue of the Arts 2.0 is a visionary plan designed in collaboration by world-renowned architecture, design, and planning firm Gensler, and landscape and urban planning practice OJB. The team has assembled a top-notch team of landscape architects, lighting designers, engineers, public art professionals, and graphic designers to execute the vision.
Execution and Phases
According to Semingson, “the plan will be implemented in a phased approach, block by block. Phase one, covering the area between Spruce and Pine (the Kimmel Center block), is scheduled to be finished by Spring 2026, in time for significant events such as Philadelphia’s 250th celebration, FIFA’s World Cup finals, and the MLB All-Star Game.”
Avenue of the Arts, Inc.
Avenue of the Arts, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the development, beautification, and marketing of the Avenue of the Arts. The Avenue of the Arts district encompasses South Broad Street, from City Hall to Washington Avenue, east to 13th Street, and west to 15th Street. This vibrant area is a growing destination for residents and visitors, and Avenue of the Arts, Inc. works to foster economic growth by advocating for stakeholders and raising funds for capital reinvestment, beautification, and marketing. Avenue of the Arts 2.0 marks the next chapter for Avenue of the Arts, Inc. as it celebrates its 31st year of operation.
Additional Resources:
Avenue of the Arts 2.0 Video
Background on Avenue of the Arts, Inc.
MEDIA CONTACT: Barbara Gall, 610-772-3095, barbara@madisongall.com
