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Councilman DiCicco playing politics with Philly's shot at Ikea
By Ed Goppelt & Lisa Parsley
Wednesday, 12/04/02
(1039059326980)
Ikea may end up in Cherry Hill yet, unless City Council, and in particular, South Philly Councilman Frank DiCicco, deliver the zoning changes Ikea has asked for. Urge City Council to give Ikea the zoning it needs.
On November 21, Councilman DiCicco introduced legislation changing the zoning of the South Philly property Ikea wants to build on. The popular furniture retailer had hoped to build a store not far from Home Depot in South Philly.But DiCicco only changed the zoning for half the property. A stand alone store is not what Ikea asked for: they planned for their store to be the anchor of a larger shopping center with stores such as Best Buy and Lowes. In essence the Councilman gave Ikea half a loaf, with the possibility of a full loaf if...
If what?
If the railroad that is selling the land to Ikea, CSX Corporation, gives certain land to the Philadelphia Port. Apparently the Port was rebuffed when it asked CSX to sell it the land. If the Port gets the land it wants, DiCicco says he'll rezone the entire parcel for Ikea.
What does this fight between the Port and CSX have to do with Ikea? Nothing, but the Councilman wants leverage over CSX, and Ikea makes a handy lever.
If the Ikea site is rezoned, CSX's property would increase in value from $6 Million to $25 Million. DiCicco argues that the Port needs room to expand and that if CSX is going to profit from selling prime port land it should give the Port something in return. He wants CSX to give the Port the Whiskey Yard, a 29 acre parcel next to the Trash Transfer station as well as Piers 122 and 124 in exchange for guarantees from the Port that it will not exercise its power of eminent domain to confiscate the Ikea site.
Urge City Council and our local representatives to bring the tax revenue and jobs to South Philly by giving Ikea the zoning it asked for. Ikea's store should not be held hostage just because CSX and the Port aren't getting along. Urge Council to change Ikea's zoning from industrial to commercial for the whole parcel.
Urge DiCicco not to play politics with our chance for the jobs, tax revenue and good, inexpensive furniture that an Ikea store would bring to Philly. Pat Smith, VP of Real Estate of Ikea has stated that the smaller DiCicco parcel 'stinks.' Having industrially zoned land around a commercial area doesn't make sense. The Councilman should amend his zoning bill to include the whole parcel Ikea asked for.