Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, 7th District; Lester C. Toaso, district executive for PennDOT; Kevin Dow, chief operating officer of the Philadelphia Department of Commerce; Deborah McColloch, director of the Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD); Barry Seymour, executive director of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission; and Guillermo (Bill) Salas Jr., president and co-founder, Hispanic Association of Contractors and Enterprises (HACE).
El Centro de Oro Streetscape Improvement Project strengthens the vibrant commercial corridor and cultural center. Long-regarded as the hub of commerce and culture for the Latino community, El Centro De Oro offers the greatest concentration of Latino-owned businesses, cultural and social establishments in the tri-state region. The goals of the streetscape improvements were to provide an identity with unique cultural character for local and regional visitors; to better showcase the growing array of businesses and restaurants; to attract new businesses and commerce; and to improve safety and security for drivers and pedestrians. It extends across Lehigh Avenue to Indiana Ave. along 5th Street.
The specific streetscape improvements included:
- Lighting: New street lighting includes fixtures designed to meet both pedestrian and vehicular illumination criteria; to be practical and economical to maintain; and to complement the aesthetics of the overall streetscape.
- Sidewalks: Coloring and patterns in the sidewalk paving has traditionally been used to highlight the corridor, but has faded and been fragmented by paving repairs. The Streetscape Improvement Project included repaving the sidewalks with a distinctive design that can also be effectively maintained and reproduced when repairs are needed.
- Palm Trees: 48 beautiful metal ornamental palm trees have been installed as part of branding the corridor into a destination place for tourists and the community.
PlanPhilly: Planning Philadelphia's Future