Authorizing the Director of Commerce, on behalf of The City of Philadelphia, to file an application for and, if the application is accepted, to execute contracts to obtain additional grant funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development to be used for business district revitalization in various Philadelphia neighborhood shopping districts.

WHEREAS, Philadelphia’s neighborhoods have suffered the loss of businesses, the loss of population, and the degeneration of property; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania passed a budget which included funding for a Main Street Program designed to infuse life into neighborhood commercial districts; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia previously entered into a contract with and obtained a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to fund business district revitalization in various Philadelphia neighborhood shopping districts; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia seeks to continue its revitalization efforts with the financial partnership of the state through the statewide Main Street Program whereby the Commerce Department would continue to coordinate the statewide Main Street Program with other local program activities and resources currently administered by The City of Philadelphia and its agencies; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is desirous of obtaining additional funds from the Department of Community and Economic Development, over a two (2) year period, in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 (One Million Dollars) to provide business district revitalization support to various Philadelphia neighborhood shopping districts; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Director of Commerce, on behalf of The City of Philadelphia, is hereby authorized to file application for, and, if the application is accepted, to execute one or more contracts over a two (2) year period to obtain grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for funding business district revitalization in various Philadelphia neighborhood shopping districts; and

That The City of Philadelphia will assume the provision of the full local share of project costs; and

That The City of Philadelphia will reimburse the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the Commonwealth’s share of any expenditures found by the Department of Community and Economic Development to be ineligible; and

That the Chief Clerk of the Council of The City of Philadelphia is authorized to execute a certificate attesting to the adoption of this Resolution and to furnish a copy of this Resolution to the Department of Community and Economic Development; and

That the Director of Commerce is further authorized to provide additional information and to furnish any documents that may be required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to act as the authorized representative of The City of Philadelphia; and

That the City Solicitor may include in each such grant application and contract such terms and conditions as the City Solicitor may deem necessary or desirable to protect the best interest of The City of Philadelphia.

End