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Dear Elected Officials:
Why isn't the message getting through? Penn is endangering the lives
of its students, guests, and the general public by recklessly proceeding
with its damage to irreplaceable Convention Hall and its highly unusual
dual - console pipe organ. Where else can we find such treasure?

Allow me to try one more time, this time including obvious conclusions:

Penn has acquired a large area of land near the 30th Street Post Office
which would be the ideal site for a medical center with immediate
access to the Schuylkill Expressway, Walnut Street, and Chestnut Street.
Penn's present ghetto of medical buildings has recently been referred to
as a "quarantine," itself helping to generate stand-still block after block
of rush hour traffic jams blocking immediate access to emergency room
entrances, undoubtedly costing lives of patients being transported.

Convention Hall has in the past been used for graduation ceremonies
by Penn. In recent years the ceremonies have been moved to open-air
Franklin Field. Without Convention Hall available in case of impending
violent weather, Penn is risking the lives of its attendees through
possible stampedes for shelter, if not from hail, lightning strikes or wind-
blown pieces of tents or scenery. Franklin Field was probably first
viewed as a pleasant event in the usual Philadelphia spring, but how
could Penn ignore the possibility of less than enjoyable weather?
Penn must be stopped, if not through persuasion, then through legal
action in the courts! Immediately!

Have Penn release their medical center from its "quarantine"! Build the
foundation of the new building strong enough to support a World Trade
Center - type building eventually to support the whole medical center.
The area the medical center occupies now has become too congested
due to Penn's continuing construction in that area.

Please act now to protect lives!

Thank you

Chilton W. Alter

Dear Elected Officials: Please keep the hall fix it up do not
kill every thing in that city ... this is why most people
move out.

Dear Elected Officials:

Penn is completely disregarding the health and safety of it's students
and guests gathered in graduation ceremonies, Spring Fling and other
large groups that are going to be forced to remain in possibly violent
weather conditions or stampeding for cover, inflicting injury on
themselves, or being struck by lightning or hail.

Convention Hall had been used for many years for graduation
ceremonies for years by Penn and other Delaware Valley area
institutions protected from what the weather had to offer, even if "just" a
bad sunburn!

The excuses I've read that Penn has used to destroy Convention Hall
have amounted to outright lies!

Richard Tyler, of the Philadelphia Historical Commision stated there
was no such review conducted as claimed by Penn's Glenn Bryan.

Convention Hall is not the only spot available as Penn claims. Just
look at the huge single-surface parking lot next door, as well as the area
behind the hospital and the newly-purchased 30th street Post Office
areas.

Convention Hall has nearly two dozen sidewalk-level entrances along
both sides of the building which seem to be just made for wheelchairs,
contrary to Penn's seeming inability to see them.

I had not known that Penn owned Convention Hall until I saw some
posters alerting us to Penn's intention to destroy it. I assumed Penn
always had the option to use it if the weather radar showed approaching
trouble, Franklin Field being a fun diversion while film and television
companies were filling Penn's (or whoever owned Convention Hall)'s
pockets with mountains of cash. If Penn owned it , they didn't need to
pay rent! Why not use it for Penn activities as well as fundraisers for the
Medical Center, the University and other organizations.

Is Penn planning to rebuild Convention Hall after people are injured or
killed in their forced outdoor activities?

The cost of Convention Hall's demolition could be avoided by building
on a space not needing demolition such as those mentioned above.

Please stop the damage to this irreplaceable building and it's dual-
console pipe organ.

Please insist on answers from Penn without any more lies, and repair
the damage they have caused. Restore Convention Hall and put it back
to its original intended use.

Penn should consider buildings much taller than they have in the past
to stop consuming the neighborhood at such a high rate as they have. If
funds aren't available for 100 - or - so - stories at first, ask them to plan to
add to the height later as Children"s Hospital has done.

Sincerely,

Chilton W. Alter

Dear Elected Officials:

It is truly shameful that a building of such stature as
Convention Hall has come this close to annihilation with so
little concern for its preservation (outside of the Save the
Convention Hall folks). This is a major piece of Philadelphia
history! Presidential nominating conventions have been held here!

I cringe even when ordinary, anonymous rowhouses are demolished,
but sometimes I can understand that they need to go for the
greater good. This demolition, however, is unnecessary, an
egregious violation of Philadelphians' right to preserve
important parts of their history.

Penn is a vital part of Philadelphia's history and economy
itself, that I understand, and I constantly praise the University
for its efforts to improve University City. But I must say that,
in this instance, the University is in the wrong and should be
stopped.

Please do the right thing for Philadelphians and stop Penn from
demolishing Convention Hall.

Dear Elected Officials:

Penn has started demolition of Convention Hall!

Why haven't you acted to stop this?

Convention Hall could be a real "cash cow" for Penn and a
special events attraction for the Delaware Valley! The ~10 acre single-
surface parking lot next to it would involve a minimum of demolition
costs for Penn to construct their 50- to 100- story medical center there.

Please ask Penn to realize the devastating effects this action is
going to have on the ambulances already trying to plow through the
rush-hour traffic jams in the area on their way to Children's Hospital's
and Penn's emergency rooms - even without the diversions of traffic
from the Schuylkill expressway that are regularly sent through the area
due to accidents and construction or more of the South Street bridge
falling.

The 30th Street Post Office land Penn has recently purchased
would probably not add that much traffic to Convention Boulevard if their
buiding(s) were constucted there. Please ask them to consider it.

Bring back the Mummers, the Flower Show and the other major
attractions for Penn and Drexel students as well as resuming graduation
ceremonies for Philadelphia area institutions of learning.

Personally, I would enjoy listening to the Convention Hall dual-
console pipe organ in concert!

Please act to save this irreplaceable treasure immediately!

Thank you,

Chilton W. Alter

Dear Elected Officials:
I am not a resident of Philadelphia proper, but I spend a
large portion of my professional and leisure time focused on the
city. Many of my relatives still live in South Philadelphia,
and I am proud of my heritage with the city. My perception of
Philadelphia is that of a city which values the past, and wants
to use its past as a foundation for the future. The city should
be commended for its vision, and I believe this vision could be
strengthened with the preservation of the Philadelphia Municipal
Auditorium (Convention Hall).
Recently, I was visiting a friend at the Hospital of the
University of Pennsylvania and had the chance to spend some time
viewing the building. From a historical perspective, I believe
the architecture of the property has obvious intrinsic value.
As a pragmatist, I understand the importance of making the
property economically viable and desirable for the city and the
university. There is no reason why both sides cannot be
satisfied with the preservation of this building.
Other buildings throughout the city have been preserved and
given new life with a different purpose. For example, the
Reading Terminal was restored as a Hard Rock Cafe and entrance
to the new Pennsylvania Convention Center. The former Lit
Brothers department store was also converted to office space.
This type of creative thinking and planning for the future can
also happen here.
In the years to come, it would be a shame to recall this
property and lament about its demise. Please do what you can to
convince the University of Pennsylvania to preserve the building
and convert it into space it can use. I agree that the property
should not just sit and crumble (like Connie Mack Stadium and
the Municipal/J.F.K. Stadium did for a number of years), and
that it should be put to good use. Buildings like this are not
built anymore, so please use what energies you can to convince
the University of Pennsylvania to perserve it and convert it
into space it can use.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter, and I hope
you will do what you can to preserve an important piece of
Philadelphia's past and preserve it for the city's future.

Dear Elected Officials:

I am 50 years old have been to the old hall for 76ers gamess
played at the hall befor the 76 ers game when I was in 8th grade
... for King of Peace School ... I have been in the philadelphia
mummer String Band for 40 years with my day and brother used to
do the show of Shows there.

Dear Elected Officials:

I never realized the importance of Convention Hall until I
recently researched the building for a college profect. Over
the years so many important events have taken place. I
personally have never been to Convention Hall, but hopefully I
will one day be able to visit the building. So please do not
allow Convention Hall to be torn down!

Dear Elected Officials:

Please do what you can to save historic Convention Hall. For
years the corner of 34th St and Civic Center Blvd was where
Philadelphians from all walks of life converged to take part in
a political convention, see a concert, graduate from high school
or college, and most of all walk into a beautiful 1920's era
building contructed to last well beyond the famous people that
spoke or visited inside. We lost the majestic Sears tower
building here in the Northeast 11 years ago only to be replaced
with yet another WalMart and Home Depot. Please try to pursuade
the powers that be at U Penn to save the exterior of this
historic and beautiful structure. Wouldn't a section of its'
interior make a wonderful commercial museum with artifacts from
our centennial, sesquicentennial, and our many sports teams?

Dear Elected Officials:
Veterans Stadium is gone forever. Connie
Mack Stadium is gone forever. JFK/Memorial Stadium is gone
forever. The last great landmark of Philadelphia's rich sports
history is Convention Hall. I grew up attending games at this
great building. Please save this great building from
destruction. My late father and I had so many wonderful
evenings at the Convention Hall. Please don't tear down this
great building.

Sincerely,

Stephen Cadwallader

Dear Elected Officials:

Philadlelphia's Convention Hall is a building of tremendous
historic importance as well as one that is architecturally
distinctive. It should not be torn down. Similar buildlings
have been creatively adapted to new purposes in other places.

I urge you to use your influence to protect Convention Hall.

Dear Elected Officials:

I am appauled at the Univ. of PA for trying to demolish a piece
of historic architecture. You cannot find a building any more
that was built so beautifully. Why doesn't Penn demolish their
own museum on the corner of 33rd and spruce instead of
refurbishing it. I am sure that the convention center has just
the same amount of history in as their own museum. The
convention center has had numerous visitors including the Pope
John Paul II (I am sure that Penn has never had the Pope visit
anyone of their buildings),hundreds of concerts including the
Beatles, Sinatra, Ray Charles, Richard Pryor, several operas,
championship fights, wrestling, hockey to name a few. There has
to be some help in stopping Penn from demolishing this building.
We do not need another research center in the area since there
are maybe 5 to 7 buildings that Penn has or is involved with
that are already doing research and every floor may not even be
filled with researchers and lab areas are empty. Here is a few
names of their research bulidings, BRB II, CRB, Stellar-Chance,
Stemmler Hall, abramson research building. Why is another
research building needed? This reminds me of the City of
Philadelphia letting developers build skyscraper office
buildings when so many companies have left Philadelphia for
other areas and the offices floors are empty and plentiful.

PLEASE stop the demolition of the convention center at once.
This is a real disgrace to the city destroying one of many
historic architural buldings with a lot of history.

January 27, 2005

Dear Elected Officials:

Without a past we have no future. I write today as the last of
the commercial museum is demolished. This building will soon be
lost forever. Do not let this same fate happen to the
convention center.

What kind of society lets such a unique structure which hosted
so many historic events fall to the wrecking ball? The same
type of society, which in the 1950's allowed the University of
Pennsylvania to clear cut countless historic structures and
displace hundreds of residents in the name of progress. These
buildings, now lost forever would have provided a far better
cityscape than the parking garages and suburban-style office
buildings that Penn has since replaced them with.

Please do not let the city's future be diminished because of the
loss of the convention center. Please act immediately to save
this wonderful asset to our city.

Sincerely,
Bruce Jay Hansen
Philadelphia, PA

Dear Elected Officials:

I moved to this neighborhoood four years ago, and fell in
love with historic univeristy city and its buildings. I went to
my first concert at this building when I was 15. I live and
work in this neighborhood and my son goes to Penn-
Alexander. With as much as Penn contributes to this
neighborhood, why would they do something like this to a
building that has so much character and is such a beautiful
part of this neighborhood? Remember Penns' presidents
mansion-boy did Penn mess up there, please don't let them
do it again! I work very hard to be able to live in this fantastic
and expensive neighborhood and would hate to see things I
love disappear one by one.

Dear Elected Officials:

I believe a solution, which would be satisfactory to all
parties involved, can be reached without having to destroy a
part of Philadelphia's rich history. Please reconsider
demolishing

Dear Elected Officials:

PLEASE DO NOT TEAR DOWN THAT MAGNIFICENT HALL OR ITS ORGAN, THEY
NEED TO BE PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

Dear Elected Officials:

Please save Convention Hall and the Commercial Museum at the
former Philadelphia Civic Center. The buildings compliment the
cityscape with beautiful Art Deco and Beaux-Arts architecture and are
an integral part of Philadelphia's history. There must be a better way to
accomodate UPenn's goals of growing their health care and medical
research facilities while preserving history. Demolition of these buildings
should not be an option.

Dear Elected Officials: While I am not a PA resident (Ohio
currently), I was at the Univ. of Penn. Med Center for a few
days this month while my father was undergoing surgery. Over
the course of these few days, I witnessed the initial
destruction of the Commercial Museum - a grand building. I
noticed the Convention Center next door and thought "Oh My God,
are they going to destroy that too?" A few years ago, The
Cincinnati Musuem Center was slated for destruction -
fortunately, it was saved as it is one of the world's premier
examples of Art Deco Railroad Stations - it is magnificent. I
think the Philadelphia Convention Center is in this same
league. I request you take urgent action to save the Convention
Center for our generation and so that future generations will be
able to visit it in person rather than see pictures of it in a
library reference book. What a sad commentary it is on our time
that if we are to move forward we must destroy our elegant
history.

Sincerely,

William Weaver

Dear Elected Officials:

Dear Elected Officials:

I am a resident of Philadelphia. I moved here and fell in love
with the amount of history and all the beautiful architecture
this city has.

U. Penn is threatening to do major damage to the sense of
history in Philadelphia. As my elected representative, I want
you to please stop them from demolishing Convention Hall.

Nathaniel Miller
5018 Hazel Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19143

Dear Elected Officials:

I am a resident of Philadelphia. I moved here and fell in love
with the amount of history and all the beautiful architecture
this city has.

U. Penn is threatening to do major damage to the sense of
history in Philadelphia. As my elected representative, I want
you to please stop them from demolishing Convention Hall.

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