Planners see the (gaudy) light

There are several things on the agenda for Tuesday’s Philadelphia City Planning Commission meeting (full list), but there’s one item on the list we’re particularly interested in: bright, flashy neon lights on a portion of East Market Street.

 

The proposal set forth by councilmen Frank DiCicco and Jim Kenney calls for the addition of bright, flashing lights around the Gallery on Market Street between Seventh and 13th Streets.

They’re going for a Times Square-esq feel. We’d like to think of it as an-original-Philadelphia-concept-that should-have-been-implemenedt-a-long-time-ago-and-why-does-New-York-get-credit-for-everything feel.

We’ll work on the name.

The lighting is supposed to make the six-block stretch more desirable to shoppers, and help Market East not look like a deserted wasteland after 8 p.m. The ultimate goal is to raise money for building improvements.

Because let’s face it, lights alone won’t keep people coming back to Walgreen’s Subway and Old Navy.

What do you think, Feeders? Is flashiness the first step to revitalizing Market East?