110833841
To the Editor:
After that meeting last Wednesday called together by the Stadium District powers that be, I have some thoughts and a real concern to those who live close to Darien Street and Packer Avenue.
I agree that all of South Philadelphia should stick together and nothing should go into a neighborhood that the residents do not want. And, yes, our elected officials know they work for us, especially those officials who are now under attack.
However, casino hearings were held more than once at the Convention Center last year, and the turnout was minimal even though at the time three locations between Front Street and 10th at Packer/Pattison were possible locations. There was even a deadline to file an intervention!
This fight just may be fruitless for the mere fact the real opposition should have been filed in the courts when the final locations were announced and not a week before the announcement of the decision. An intervention should have been filed, as it was for the [Bart] Blatstein project, it never was. Now, it will be even more costly to fight this.
With all the finger pointing going on, the fact is the elected officials were not even invited to the meeting. Even criminals are allowed to face their accusers. Perhaps the wrong phone numbers were passed around at the meeting.
Was the process of who makes the decision explained to the residents? Were they told about last year’s hearings? Were they told the local elected officials do not make the decision? Were they told it is the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board? Were they given statistics of the impact SugarHouse had in Fishtown on crime and other factors? Were they given any information that benefits or harms them, or was it kept from them until it could be used for someone’s agenda and a possible run for office? How many meetings did the leaders of the Stadium District hold to explain all of this?
Did anyone stop to think that the likely winner in this, Live!, is part of Xfinity Live! and that the owners, Comcast-Spectacor, are part of the Stadium District? Why was the big opposition meeting now and not months ago when it mattered? There are at least one or two people who supposedly have their fingers on the button down there. Were their eyes closed or did they strategically plan it for now when the election for City Council is only months away?
If this does happen, the impact of the casino will mostly affect the residents closest to Ninth Street and Packer Avenue going east and west, on the east side of Broad. There should be a separate entity to be the liaison between the community and the casino, not the Stadium District. The casino is a whole other venue, separate from the sports teams. It will have different hours of operation, and will not draw the traffic a football game or a concert does. Do you really want those who sit on the district board to police their own venue? Should they control any monies for those residents like they control the money that could have been used for the intervention?
Our area suffers indirectly from the stadiums, too, by fans parking in our neighborhood, trash, traffic on Oregon Avenue and so on but after much lobbying from our civic group, State Rep. Bobby Donatucci and others, we were shut out of the Stadium District. So much for all of South Philly sticking together!
I would be the first to scream from the rooftops when an elected official has wronged our or any community; this was not the case in this situation. Before putting them on a cross, get the real facts.
I can appreciate everyone’s concern, frustration and even confusion, but look at the big picture! Elected officials do listen to big issues, but no one took real action until now. I do not think it is everyone on that board, and most likely they were directed by someone they trusted to take the lead. Perhaps the real “enemy” is the one within. Perhaps the real “enemy” is one who is ready to blame every single person they know for a defeat that was their own doing.
Sticking together in this situation is to make sure those who may suffer have the best support they deserve. I can bet that the elected officials in South Philly will be there for them and do the right thing.
South Philly is the best place in the world, and it is up to us to protect one and other first and not put self-serving agendas before our families, our friends and our community. But beware of rainmakers.
Jody Della Barba
President Girard Estate Area Residents
Send a letter to the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification purposes.
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