PlanPhilly: Planning Philadelphia's Future

Weekly Press: South Street, South Street - that's where all the blank stores beat

With several vacant storefronts, fellow business owners assembled to grapple over how to fill said vacancies—and there was the even more pressing question of how to fill them with shops that would reflect the artistic vibe that has made the street so famous.

This seemed particularly relevant, considering the recent application for the Korean-owned frozen yogurt shop at 5th and South Streets. While it seemed apparent that the applicant intended to make a long-term commitment to the district, several questions were raised about opening yet another take-out establishment.

"We need to be consistent," explained the Board’s Chair, Michael Untermyer, in reference to the fact that the District could easily acquire 10 to 15 new tenants in the form of take-out establishments—though this, said one audience member, would make South Street "look like the boardwalk."

And for several business owners, the prospect of having South Street resemble the boardwalk proves especially upsetting, given the fact that several of the businesses that once contributed to its artsy renown have moved to the numbered side streets due to high rents.

Also, Headhouse Square’s Executive Director David Hammond said that with regard to the city’s zoning code, once a take-out establishment closes, another can automatically reopen if the vacancy hasn’t been filled in under three years.