January 14, 2026
Provided Image/OJB Landscape Architects
Officials provided updates and renderings for the revival of the 10-block stretch of South Broad Street’s Avenue of the Arts on Wednesday, with the first phase of construction between Pine and Spruce streets set to begin Jan. 30 and be finished by June.
Updated designs and timelines for an ambitious revival of the 10-block stretch of South Broad Street’s Avenue of the Arts were released Wednesday. The area is set to receive a $150 million investment for streetscape upgrades over the next decade.
Elected officials, local businesses and developers gathered in the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts to unveil their vision to transform the section into a tourist destination with greenery on its medians and sidewalks, expanded pedestrian and dining areas, and public art.
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After about a year-long delay, construction on Broad Street between Pine and Spruce streets will begin Jan. 30 and is slated to be done by June — just before the city hosts World Cup matches and celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary.
The first phase of the project will include installing a raised, landscaped median with native trees, a rain-water collection cistern and lighting. The next phase of work, slated to begin in 2027 and take a year to complete, will include widening the sidewalks into the existing drop-off lanes and installing raised planting beds, public art, seating, signage and banners.
When all 10 phases of the project are complete, developers hope for South Broad to attract more stores, restaurants, museums and housing developers.
Desaree Jones, executive director of the nonprofit Avenue of the Arts Inc., said the aesthetic upgrades to the corridor, a project they're calling "AveArts 2.0," will pay homage to the area’s history as a hub for the arts by incorporating outdoor performance spaces.
"It's about reclaiming the avenue as a public, shared civic space," she said. " ... AveArts 2.0 shows what’s possible when a city believes in its creative power and invests in shared public spaces. We’re building a center stage for civic life.”
A north-facing rendering shows the planned redevelopment for South Broad Street with added greenery, seating and public art.
Provided Image/OJB Landscape Architects
Additional work is also required on the drainage and electrical systems of each block, which the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, PECO and SEPTA will assist developers in fixing.
Carl Dranoff, chair of the Avenue of the Arts Inc., said improving pedestrian use along the street will be the main focus of the project, even if that means eliminating some options for vehicles.
“There’s only a few parking spaces per block ... and they’re totally not necessary," he said. "We can take those spaces and put beautiful shrubs and planters in their place and make the street much more attractive for residents and future residents. ... What we need that we don’t have is outdoor cafes, pop-up performance spaces. We want singers and carolers during the holidays. And we want to utilize the space that we have in a better, more efficient fashion."
The project was first announced in July 2024, with a $100 million investment cap and construction slated to begin in the spring of 2025. Jones said that red tape in obtaining permits and licenses combined with the rising costs of construction projects caused the timeline to be delayed and the budget to increase.
State Rep. Jordan Harris, a South Philadelphia native, also announced that his office would invest an additional $500,000 for the operational needs of the Avenue of the Arts.
“It breaks down to about $15 million per block which is twofold — the median and the sidewalks,” Jones said. “It’s about the items on the sidewalks but also about the technology that goes underneath. … That’s the reason for the increase, the cost has just gone up since last year.”
The future of the area — which houses performance art spaces including the Academy of Music, Ensemble Arts Philly and Kimmel Center — has been in limbo since the abrupt closure of the University of the Arts and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
"This is Philadelphia claiming its future," Dranoff said. "Cities that lead the world invest boldly in culture, public space and greening. With AveArts 2.0, the Avenue of the Arts will become one of those rare, magical streets the world talks about."
