Ground broken at Philadelphia market
Ground broken at Philadelphia market
PHILADELPHIA -- Plenty of golden shovels were on hand for the ceremonial groundbreaking of Philadelphia's new produce terminal market, held here Sept 4.
The temperature soared near Philadelphia's record-high of 93 degrees, but no one standing atop a windy, dusty, sandy plot of land in the southwestern part of the city had any real complaints. Finally, what was arguably the biggest day in the city's produce history had arrived. About 100 people were gathered for the groundbreaking were thrilled to see a day that seemed to be out of reach for the last seven years.
According to the office of state Sen. Vince Fumo (D-Philadelphia), the $218.5 million project will include a 667,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility occupying a 48.6-acre land parcel at 6700 Essington Ave. Another 15-acre parcel nearby will be used as a parking and staging area. The new market will retain 1,469 current jobs and create an estimated 375 more.
At the ceremony, it was noted that Philadelphia's first produce market was established in 1694 by local farmers wanting a place to sell their goods. The city's produce market has moved only a few times since. When Philadelphia moved to its existing location in 1959, it was the world's most modern produce market. When the next move is made in two years, the city will again be able to make that claim.
The market's developer, O'Neill Properties, will be responsible for cost overruns and will pay a penalty if market construction runs beyond the schedule.
(Photos from the event appear in the Sept. 15 issue of The Produce News.)
The temperature soared near Philadelphia's record-high of 93 degrees, but no one standing atop a windy, dusty, sandy plot of land in the southwestern part of the city had any real complaints. Finally, what was arguably the biggest day in the city's produce history had arrived. About 100 people were gathered for the groundbreaking were thrilled to see a day that seemed to be out of reach for the last seven years.
According to the office of state Sen. Vince Fumo (D-Philadelphia), the $218.5 million project will include a 667,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility occupying a 48.6-acre land parcel at 6700 Essington Ave. Another 15-acre parcel nearby will be used as a parking and staging area. The new market will retain 1,469 current jobs and create an estimated 375 more.
At the ceremony, it was noted that Philadelphia's first produce market was established in 1694 by local farmers wanting a place to sell their goods. The city's produce market has moved only a few times since. When Philadelphia moved to its existing location in 1959, it was the world's most modern produce market. When the next move is made in two years, the city will again be able to make that claim.
The market's developer, O'Neill Properties, will be responsible for cost overruns and will pay a penalty if market construction runs beyond the schedule.
(Photos from the event appear in the Sept. 15 issue of The Produce News.)
