The Democratic National Convention is right around the corner, and the question becomes… What is Philly going to look like in that time?
For those of us who were around during the Pope’s visit in September of 2015, there is some amount of hesitation about the city’s ability to host so large an event without the entire city coming to a screeching halt. Businesses lost revenue, streets, trains, and even bridges were closed, cutting people off from transport to and from jobs, and the revenue boost for the city and it’s local business owners expected from entertaining so many visitors turned out to be a bust as well.
The DNC is primarily being held within the Wells Fargo Center, and XFinity live will be included in the surrounding security perimeter. While the finalized security routes have not been determined officially as of yet, we can all expect “some closures” and a “non-scalable wall”. Special Agent James Henry spoke to the issue, and said that this will be on a smaller scale than the pope visit, and the impact will be minimal. Planning, he said, began shortly after the Pope left town, so hopefully the lessons learned from the papal visit will be reflected in the city.
And unlike the Pope’s visit, which saw many Philly residents leaving town for a mini vacation just get out of Dodge, the mayor is urging city residents to stay in place for the DNC. A campaign has been launched, with the slogan “You Don’t Want To Miss This”.
Perhaps in an effort to keep the city from shutting down, and the huge amount of waste that went along with the mass exodus of Philadelphia residents during the Pope’s tenure, there will not only be local discounts for convention-goers, but for residents as well.
Even if you don’t have a ticket to the convention, there will be lots of events that are open to the public, if you are of the inclination to attend. From art installations to PoliticalFest, to the ability submit testimony to the official party platform, there will be a lot of activities in the city apart from the convention. Visit the PHLDNC webpage, or the Morning Call online for more information, including where the aforementioned #DNCDeals can be found.
A proposal is currently working it’s way through the Pennsylvania Legislature that would lift restrictions on the sale of alcohol. Temporarily, of course. House Bill 1196 is looking to create a “national event permit” allowing for establishments hosting the event to circumvent many laws, including 2 a.m. serving cutoffs, permit holders can sell wine that has not been purchased through the PLCB, and alcohol-to-go rules will remain in effect for all approved establishments. So get ready to party like it’s the 2016 DNC. Earlier this month, another bill that allowed for, among other things, wine sales at grocery stores, longer state liquor store hours and 24/7 beverage service at casinos passed the House in a 157-31 vote.