Re-imagined Dilworth Plaza in Philly will open Labor Day at earliest

The area on the West Side of Philadelphia City Hall will remain under construction for at least 10 more months.  

Renovations to Dilworth Plaza were supposed to be finished by the spring of 2014, but Paul Levy of the Center City District says Labor Day is the earliest you will see the project done.

Levy’s group is managing the project and sent e-mail responses to questions from WHYY instead of agreeing to an interview. He says the project is 10 percent over budget, but the Center City District is raising private contributions to cover the shortfall.

City Controller Alan Butkovitz says he’s concerned. “This is a central location. It’s very marketable for the people developing Center City and if it remains an uncompleted eyesore, it’s going to be a problem,” he said. “The escalating costs are also a problem because there are a lot of demands on the Center City District.”

During demolition, construction workers found pipes, concrete stairways and other items that were not on existing plans. Dealing with the surprises has driven up costs and created some of the delay, says Levy.   He says that Labor Day completion date could be pushed back again if the winter is harsher than normal.