| Not Ready for Prime Time | |
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In less than six months an estimated 45,000 men and women will converge on Philadelphia for the 2000 Republican National Convention to be held July 31 - August 3, 2000 at the First Union Center. Among these will be 4132 delegates and alternates and over 15,000 members of the media.
As the snow melts from a series of snowstorms that blanketed the area in late January, two things become clear. Many of the construction projects in the city that were initially expected to be completed will not be ready for the Convention. Secondly, the city has a lot of work still to do to clean up before the Republicans arrive.
Disney Quest Philadelphia which was to be the anchor of a new entertainment pavilion at Market East 2000, remains a large hole in the ground with ongoing funding problems. Once expected to be completed by the summer of 2000, this complex was to feature family-oriented entertainment, multiplex movie theaters, attractions, retail and dining.
Construction on the new Penn's Landing Family Entertainment Center was to have begun last fall. That construction is currently delayed and not expected to begin until this spring.
Penn's Landing Construction Site
Currently what was the major gathering place for summer events in the city, the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, is closed to the public and fenced in. It remains unclear from what venue people are expected to view the tall ships that are scheduled to visit Philadelphia from June 23-29, 2000 as part of OpSail 2000.
Hyatt Regency Penn's Landing
Construction has resumed after considerable delays on the new Hyatt Regency Penn's Landing, but the hotel and its 500 car parking garage is not expected to be open until at least the fall of 2000.
Site of the new Independence Mall
Once it was hoped that the new Independence Mall would be ready for the Republicans with its new Liberty Bell Pavilion and Gateway Visitors Center would be complete, however, actual construction has not even begun.
If the failure to complete or even begin many of these projects is not bad enough, many areas of downtown which will be frequented by those attending the convention are in desperate need of work.
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