Second Annual Jewelers Row Fall Festival Bittersweet For Many As 23-Story Luxury Apartment Building Forcing Evictions
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The rain held out for the Jewelers Row Fall Festival on Saturday. But for some people, the event was bittersweet as the historic district deals with evictions to make room for a 23-story luxury condo building.
Jewelers Row is the spot once you've popped the question and some snacks.
"Think there are a lot of positive vibes going on down here," Safian Rudolph owner Rich Goldberg said.
Saturday's Jewelers Row Fall Festival is an ongoing initiative to bring more people to the area.
"People are looking forward to the development and its strengthening of the district overall," Goldberg said.
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The second Jewelers Row Fall Festival comes just a few months after some jewelers were evicted to build a 23-story luxury apartment complex.
"It's bittersweet. A few years ago, it would have been a lot more people here," Chloe Sanders said, "but because of the circumstances it's been a decent turnout."
Sanders works just around the corner from Jewelers Row. She says change is good, but the evictions have been difficult.
"It's been very abrupt. I've been here about four months. Even in the psat fourth months, I've seen maybe four businesses leave here," Sanders said. "It's sad considering the history and where we are now."
Various evicted jewelers have either moved down the block or to other streets.
The apartments will be built by the Toll brothers. Shop owners who were not evicted are excited about its possibilities.
"We hope that it does bring more people and more foot traffic and more life to a very old and historic district," Goldberg said.
Not everyone is banding together.
"You come to Jewelers Row and it seems like it should stay here," Sean McCausland, of West Chester, said. "I think it's a good idea to bring condos down here and have a lot of the younger crowd move in, but I don't think it should be at the expense of moving out some of a pretty historic place."
