Center City lights add joy to the holidays

(December 20, 2010) – The frosty air will be bright with dazzling lights throughout Center City, as property owners join the Center City District by highlighting the city’s buildings and landmarks in holiday hues.

Throughout the year, the Center City District adds colorful lighting to a dozen historic buildings along the Avenue of the Arts. On the evenings of December 24-27th, a special holiday light show will dance along those buildings, as the colors rotate white, blue, green and gold.

On New Year’s Eve, a continual rainbow of orange, blue, magenta, green and red will highlight the start of the New Year. At 11:58 p.m. on December 31, the lights will count down to the magic stroke of midnight.

In addition to the Center City District’s lighting along the Avenue of the Arts, the midrise urban apartment complex 777 South Broad will add a touch of green.

At the western edge of Center City, the PECO Building at 2301 Market Street will stream holiday greetings. The Cira Centre, on the banks of the Schuylkill, will be decked out in red and white on Christmas Day and will decorate the sky with a mix of colors for the New Year.

On the eastern side, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge will glow red and green through December 25 and December 28-30 to herald Christmas.  On December 26 and 27, the bridge will twinkle with red, green and yellow to celebrate Kwanzaa. And then, on December 31 and January 1, to relay a message of hope for the New Year, the bridge will be cast in the rainbow colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

Also on the eastern edge, the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing dons the red and green.

In the heart of Center City, Liberty Place One and Two add to the holiday spirit with their array of red and green lights.
“Center City is among a growing number of cities worldwide that are using coordinated building lighting to enhance their downtowns. We appreciate the businesses and property owners joining the Center City District in making the city festively brightly,” said Paul R. Levy, president and CEO of the Center City District.

Many of the participating buildings use color-changing LED lighting, due to its energy efficiency, long life, its effectiveness in highlighting distinctive architectural details and its ability to provide programmable light shows for holidays and city-wide celebrations at a much lower cost.

Participating building managers/property owners include: American Real Estate Partners; the Brandywine Realty Trust; Cushman & Wakefield of Pennsylvania, Inc.; Delaware River Port Authority; Dranoff Properties; Hyatt; PECO; and the Center City District.
 
The Center City District, a private-sector sponsored business improvement district dedicated to making Center City Philadelphia clean, safe and attractive, is committed to maintaining Center City’s competitive edge as a regional employment center, a quality place to live, and a premier regional destination for dining, shopping and cultural attractions.
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Center City District
Public Ledger Building, 660 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 10106
 
Linda K. Harris
Director of Communications and Publications
Center City District
Public Ledger Building
660 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA  19106
Phone:  215.440.5546
lharris@centercityphila.org
 

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