Penn's Landing plans still on hold

A selection committee appointed by Mayor John Street is still debating among four plans for the redevelopment of Penn's Landing.

Meanwhile, plans for the project were recently inspected by federal agents currently conducting a broad investigation into a number of city contracts and businesses.

Leonard Ross, a chairman of the selection committee and former law partner of Street --who did not return calls for comment -- told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the Federal Bureau of Investigation asked him "general questions" about the procedure of the selection committee, such as who served on it, how it was chosen and what its time table was.

Plans for the 13-acre site on the Delaware River were discussed last spring in public forums, where Philadelphians were able to vote on the proposals.

Street's office received the top four plans on Sept. 2. One of these plans will be chosen by the selection committee, which includes members of the Penn's Landing Board of Directors, the Penn's Landing Committee and the City Commerce Department.

Each of the four proposals currently being considered has a different vision for the future of Penn's Landing. These include amenities such as theaters, water parks, ice skating rinks, residential, retail and office space, restaurants and parks.

At this point, there are still deadlines for a final decision to be made, according to Laurie Curtin, a spokeswoman from Penn's Landing Corp.

"The delay at this point is not about the [FBI] investigation, but about the committee getting a clear understanding from an analysis perspective," said Sara Merriman, special assistant to the director of commerce.

"At this point, the self-imposed deadline has been sort of lifted, and they are taking a closer look at the projects and the merits of the proposals themselves," she said.

"They think that they should be ready to make a decision by the end of the year, it's all really dependent on the selection committee."

Maxine Griffith, secretary and executive director of the City Planning Commission, said that plans have not been stalled as a result of the FBI's investigation.

"The FBI has not contacted us, and as far as we know, progress has not been slowed," Griffith said.

Others view the delay in a decision from the committee as a result of the FBI complications, however.

"My sense is that the decision was put off indefinitely and I'm sure it's related to the probe, there's so much to deal with right now," said Harris Steinberg, executive director of Penn Praxis in the Graduate School of Design. Penn Praxis partnered with the Inquirer to organize the public forums about Penn's Landing plans last spring.

"Deadlines have slipped repeatedly, first May, then Labor Day," Steinberg added.

No deadline for the final decision was ever set in stone, according to Curtin.

"There is no timeline for the process, [the committee is] trying to make a good, educated decision," she said. "Nothing has been delayed."

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