Welcome to the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Public Property website. I am Commissioner Andres Perez, Jr. This department manages the physical infrastructure that supports the City government operations. Although the department employs only 230 workers, its diligent workforce is responsible for the acquisition, disposition, lease, and maintenance of Philadelphia’s properties and the management of the city’s communication systems. Little known to the public, the department also administers the city’s four cable television franchises, oversees the city’s accessibility compliance programs, and coordinates and supports special citywide events such as the Sunoco Welcome America, the 4th of July’s Independence Day Ceremony/Liberty Medal Presentation, the Dragonboat Race, and the X Games.

    Within the past decade, Public Property has accomplished many tasks and implemented initiatives designed to deliver services to the city agencies thereby making the city government serve its residents more efficiently. These include the consolidation and renovation of office space in downtown Philadelphia, the maintenance of all police facilities, the curb cuts at some 12,000 intersections for people with disabilities, and the adoption of the PHLASH bus system. The modernization of the city’s telecommunications infrastructure allows us to take advantage of new technology so that we can continue to improve our services; the department did this by converting 6,000 rotary-dial phones to touch-tone and incorporating the Internet and the wireless devices into its operational usage.

    I hope this official website of the department will give the public a closer insight into our behind-the-scene operations.