Center City Philadelphia

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RJ White, Manager of Media Relations & Interactive Marketing
rwhite@centercityphila.org
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Center City Landmarks and Buildings To Wear The Green On St. Patrick’s Day

(March 16, 2009) – Continuing their program of colorfully lighting Center City for major holidays, seven property owners, the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) and the Center City District (CCD) have agreed to coordinate the lighting of prominent Philadelphia landmarks and buildings in green for the night of St. Patrick’s Day.

The Ben Franklin Bridge, Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing, One and Two Liberty Place, Mellon Bank Center, Symphony House, Suzanne Roberts Theatre, and Cira Centre will join the eight historic buildings on Avenue of the Arts that were lit by the CCD in 2008 with permanent LED façade lighting.

Most of the participating buildings also use the energy efficient color-changing LED lighting, which can easily highlight distinctive architectural details or provide fanciful, brilliant light shows for holidays and city-wide celebrations, at a much lower cost.

“Having these various players coordinate their efforts reinforces the value of using building lighting as a means to create a special experience for both visitors and residents,” said CCD President Paul R. Levy. “These institutions and building owners realize the importance of utilizing this technology to transform Philadelphia’s streets into a colorful show that can be enjoyed by everyone.”

"The Ben Franklin Bridge is pleased to be joining many in our region by 'wearing green' to commemorate St. Patrick's Day," said John J. Matheussen, CEO, Delaware River Port Authority and President of PATCO.

Philadelphia is the only city in North America to have organized this of type of lighting on such a large scale in their downtown.

Taking a cue from the Delaware River Port Authority’s special lighting schedule for the Ben Franklin Bridge, the whole of Center City will again be thematically lit for.

Participating building managers/property owners include: Delaware River Port Authority, Brandywine Realty Trust, REIT Management, Hyatt, Cushman & Wakefield, Dranoff Properties, Philadelphia Theatre Company, CB Richard Ellis and the Center City District, along with property owners on the Avenue of the Arts.

The Center City District, a private-sector sponsored business improvement district dedicated to making Center City Philadelphia clean, safe and attractive, is committed to maintaining Center City’s competitive edge as a regional employment center, a quality place to live, and a premier regional destination for dining, shopping and cultural attractions.

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