Editorial for July 20, 2006

Franklin forever!

One of the finest places to shop in America is right here in Northeast Philadelphia’s back yard — the northern tip, to be precise — but the uncertainty surrounding the Franklin Mills mall’s future, as highlighted in this week’s Page 1 story, is quite unfortunate indeed.

The mall’s owners are refusing to confirm or deny rumors that the shopping mecca may be up for sale and will be replaced by a massive housing development.

While plenty of old-timers in the Northeast may long for the days when Franklin Mills was the Liberty Bell horse racing track — and yes, wouldn’t it be nice if Northeast Philly residents could still choose between Liberty Bell and Keystone (Philadelphia Park) race tracks? — Franklin Mills is responsible for plenty of bargains, jobs and tax revenue. That’s good for Northeast Philadelphia, good for all of Philadelphia, and good for the entire region.

Yes, Franklin Mills’ early days had plenty of bad news: Car thefts. Shootings. Robberies. The riffraff from the old 49th Street Galleria entertainment center. The pesky pickets at the late, great (non-union) Carrefour hypermarket.

But the bad stuff is long gone; the good stuff dominates.

Franklin Mills is still a fun place to spend a day, with its eclectic mix of shops and restaurants — from fast food to fine dining — and a 14-screen movie theater. Heck, for the shoppers who need a little salvation after blowing their shopping budget, there’s even a nondenominational church at the northern end of the project where the original movie theater was.

Here’s our plea to the mall’s owners: Call a news conference this week to state clearly and unequivocally that Franklin Mills mall is not for sale, will not be for sale, and is here to stay. Keep the mall open. Let it continue to thrive. That would be a good deal for everybody. ••

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