Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Hosts Roadmap for Growth Listening Tour with Councilwoman Blackwell

The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) in partnership with Third District Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell hosted its ninth Listening Tour session in the Roadmap for Growth campaign on Thursday, December 4. Community groups, business associations, partner organizations and others discussed the best ideas to encourage economic growth and create jobs in Philadelphia. About 50 people attended Thursday evening’s meeting at the Enterprise Center in West Philadelphia.

“As we complete our ninth Listening Tour, it’s remarkable to how each one is different. When listening to West Philadelphia residents, the main concerns centered around having diverse commercial corridors, adequate public transportation and community inclusion in local developments,” said Joe Grace, Director of Public Policy for the Chamber. “This feedback is really important as we move forward in the Roadmap for Growth campaign.”

Some of the suggestions from the meeting include:

-Monitoring inclusion efforts on development projects in neighborhoods so that everyone can benefit;

-Developing commercial and industrial corridors to attract businesses, especially manufacturers; and

-Matching transportation routes with commercial corridors and areas that need more development.

“We had a lot of different people in the room from all walks of life,” said Councilwoman Blackwell. “All of us know we need jobs. We need to do better. I represent more ‘Meds and Eds’ than anyone, and it’s a challenge to not allow a lot of gentrification. We are trying to making everything work so that everyone has a chance to succeed in this economy.”

The Chamber is encouraging all citizens to engage in the online conversation about Philadelphia’s economy at www.roadmapforgrowth.com. Users can answer questions, participate in polls and provide input into what they think the next Mayor and City Council should do to grow the economy. People can also join the conversation through #PhillyRoadmap and on the Chamber’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr pages. The current sponsors of the Roadmap for Growth are Comcast NBC10 Telemundo62, PECO Energy, Dilworth Paxson LLP, ACE Group, Brandywine Realty Trust, Temple University, Franklin Square Capital Partners, Econsult Solutions Inc., AT&T, Citizens Bank, United Bank of Philadelphia and Walgreens.

You can read full notes from the meeting here.