Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corp.'s leader steps down



After leading the community development and service organization for five years, the executive director of Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corp. is stepping down and will head to Detroit.

Sam Sherman will stay with the organization through June 30 to oversee the completion of several projects that are already in the works and help with the transition to the next executive director, according to a Monday announcement from PARC.

Once he departs, he will leave Philadelphia so he can apply the skills he developed while leading PARC to Detroit.


"Detroit represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow professionally and join a great community of urbanists dedicated to renewal and creativity," Sherman said in a statement.

He will continue to maintain his Philadelphia residence and visit the city.

Since Sherman began in the executive director position in January 2011, PARC invested more than $6.2 million in eight projects and created seven new commercial spaces – which led to 85 new jobs, $5.8 million in new economic activity and $750,000 in new tax revenue for the city, according to the community organization.

It's also had a part in obtaining more than $5.1 million in funding for public space capital improvements, including daily cleaning, graffiti removal, landscape maintenance and more, PARC said.

Recently PARC unveiled a new gateway to the community. The plaza is considered a better welcome to the district, which is considered one of the hottest restaurant scenes in the city.

“Sam has played a vital role in taking an organization that was on the verge of dissolution and transforming it into a major component of the continued revival of East Passyunk Avenue and the neighborhoods that surround it,” said Paul R. Levy, Chairman of the PARC Board, in a statement. “His tireless efforts have made PARC a national model for how a non-profit community development corporation can support commercial corridor revitalization while using the proceeds from strategic real estate holdings and investments to fund cleaning, landscaping and other community benefits for surrounding residential areas."

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