Center City District in Philadelphia, PA is a special service district that is governed and ruled by a private-sector board. The district, which is supported by mandatory assessments on real property, consists of 120 blocks and in excess of 2,100 properties.
Center City District was founded in 1990 when a group of over 2,000 property owners, the city of Philadelphia as well as its employees decided to establish a business improvement district that would be committed to keeping the city safe, clean and attractive to all. Considering that Philadelphia is the fifth largest city in America, they had their work cut out for them, but have been very successful with their efforts.
For starters, they were authorized for five years to provide cleaning, security and a promotion service to supplement what was already being provided by the city of Philadelphia. They have also been authorized until the year 2015 to finance and implement a streetscape improvement program. They have been able to refinance this project at the lowest possible interest rates, thus saving the city even more money.
The Center City District is in charge of many important programs such as Ambassador Program, Crime Prevention, Homeless Programs and Physical Improvements and more. The Homeless Program called Homeless Action Team (HAT) helps to get individuals into housing programs or treatment center. They also work with social services in trying to find employment opportunities for these individuals.
Center City District has much to offer in the way of shopping and dining and will show you where to go to find these places. They have some great malls and retails stores including The Gallery at Market East, Jeweler's Row, The Bellevue and The Shops at Liberty Place plus many more.
The Center City District in Philadelphia is like a wonderful Chamber of Commerce, Welcome Wagon and City Hall all in one.
