PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Music and crowds flooded the streets outside of Reading Terminal Market Tuesday, celebrating the Filbert Street Transformation Project.
The new and improved look, roughly six months in the making, has market workers and regular customers excited for what lies ahead, like new outdoor space that allows for more dining, live events and shopping.
The $1.5 million project expands the sidewalk, improves access to public transportation and makes parking more flexible.
While the space is reinvented, the project keeps historical elements and blends them with a new vision to make a space that benefits the community.
“It’s great for the city of Philadelphia to continue activating our streets to make them places where people can be safe and enjoy themselves,” said Councilmember Mark Squilla.
The pandemic brought indoor dining outside, which is something restaurant-goers are not yet willing to give up, said Reading Terminal Market CEO and General Manager Annie Allman.
“COVID-19 showed us even more the importance of outdoor spaces,” Allman said.
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Allman added the new layout of Filbert Street creates the opportunity for increased dining capacity, pop-up retail kiosks and arts for the public.
“To bring back music, to bring that back in a public space so that it’s open, diverse and available for everyone,” said Allman. “So it looks like Philly.”
Squilla said he is looking forward to seeing the space continue to flourish in the coming months, and for Party for the Market to return for the first time since 2020, on Feb. 25.
“The Reading Terminal Market is one of the oldest markets in the country, and being able to see it grow and prosper is something we’re excited about,” Squilla said.
Two weeks ago, the city announced new regulations and an application process for restaurants to set up permanent outdoor dining.
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