Center City District

Since March 1991, teal and purple uniformed personnel have appeared on the streets of Center City Philadelphia sporting the logo of the Center City District (CCD), a private sector sponsored municipal authority committed to a clean, safe and attractive downtown. The CCD provides public safety and sidewalk cleaning programs that supplement city government services. District programs serve a 100 block area that contains some of the finest office buildings, hotels, shopping, restaurants, theaters, cultural and educational institutions, homes and historic sites in the United States.

The CCD’s 40 Plus Community Service Representatives (CSRs) serve as “good will ambassadors,” providing pedestrians with information and first aid and act as additional “eyes and ears” for the Philadelphia police.

Trained in crime prevention techniques, hospitality, customer service, public safety and emergency first aid, the CSRs provide a secure, welcoming presence on the sidewalks for workers, visitors, residents and shoppers. They carry first aid kits, maps and information, and state of the art, two way radios that link them to a dispatcher at the Center City District Police substation. They assist the Philadelphia police with crowd and traffic control, engage in outreach to homeless persons and play an active role in welcoming visitors and conventioneers.

CSRs are joined by 70 sidewalk cleaners who mechanically clean public walkways early each morning and sweep public walkways throughout the day. Once a month, each sidewalk receives a high pressure washing to remove accumulated stains and grime. Additionally, using special project teams, the CCD removes graffiti from building facades, street poles, signs and security gates. As a result, each morning the downtown opens clean and stays clean, bolstering public perceptions and pride.

The CCD also oversees banner and transit shelter art installation programs along downtown thoroughfares, while supporting other initiatives that promote and enhance Center City’s image.

The success of the CCD has been heralded by the Los Angeles Times, the Baltimore Sun, ABC World News Tonight, National Public Radio, the Washington Post and nationally syndicated columnist Neil Pierce. Business leaders and government officials from cities in 40 states and 18 foreign countries have visited the CCD to learn from its success.

For more information on the Center City District, call Michelle Shannon, Vice President for Marketing, at (215) 440 5500. Or write: The Center City District, 660 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106.