PHILADELPHIA – Mayor Cherelle L. Parker joined the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia at its annual Mayoral Luncheon today to address important issues facing the city, and to talk about her agenda for Philadelphia – a Safer, Cleaner, Greener City, with Access to Economic Opportunity for All.

Bringing together more than 2,000 executives, elected officials, business owners, and civic leaders, the Chamber’s Mayoral Luncheon is the largest forum for the Mayor of Philadelphia to address the region’s business community. Mayor Parker shared the Administration’s key priorities and challenges facing the city, including public safety, cleaning and greening neighborhoods, economic opportunities, public education, housing, and other issues.

Mayor Parker’s speech as prepared; check against delivery.

Good afternoon, everyone.

To the Members of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, President and CEO Chellie Cameron, Board Chair Greg Deavens, VP Will Carter, and the Board of Directors,

Members of City Council, including my friend Council President Kenyatta Johnson and his leadership team – Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Majority Whip Isaiah Thomas, Deputy Majority Whip Cindy Bass, Minority Leader Kendra Brooks, and Minority Whip Nicholas O’Rourke,

Members of our dedicated Philadelphia delegation in the Pennsylvania General Assembly,

Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton,

Leaders of Organized Labor, Faith leaders, Business and Civic leaders,

My strong and talented Parker Administration, led so well by our Chief of Staff Tiffany Thurman and Chief Deputy Mayors Sincere Harris and Vanessa Garrett Harley,

I am honored and excited to be here – and to report on what we accomplished since I was here last year and preview where we are headed over the next year.

Before I begin my remarks, I want to acknowledge several important events that took place over the last 12 days.

First, how about our Philadelphia Eagles?! We did It!!!

(And I’m NOT spelling today!)

We’re thrilled with their resounding Super Bowl victory, and so happy for the Eagles organization, including Owner Jeff Lurie, President Don Smolenski, General Manager Howie Roseman, Coach Nick Sirianni, Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, and every player and employee of our Eagles. Congratulations!

I also want to address the tragic plane crash that happened the Friday before last – a Black Swan event the likes of which our City has never seen before.

A small Learjet – a medical plane carrying an 11-year-old girl, her mother, and a four-person flight crew – plummeted from the sky shortly after take-off in Northeast Philadelphia.

It crashed on Cottman Avenue, near Roosevelt Mall.

All 6 people aboard the plane perished. A 7^th person – a Philadelphian in his car – passed away as well.

24 people were injured. Three remain hospitalized – two still in critical condition. Please keep them in your prayers.

Our first responders – your government – worked around the clock for days: stabilizing the scene, putting out fires, investigating the incident, interacting with our State and Federal partners, and starting the steady, serious work of restoring the community to the way it was before this event took place.

I am so proud of the Philadelphia Police Department/Commissioner Bethel, Fire Department/Commissioner Thompson, Office of Emergency Management/Director Mireles, Managing Director/Thiel, and Every Agency doing everything necessary to serve and protect the people of Northeast Philly.

Please join me in applauding every City Employee who worked so diligently in responding to the crash – and who are still working to help the community recover.

Last week, we held an Emergency Town Hall meeting at a school, a few blocks from the crash site.

Hundreds of people attended, wondering when their neighborhood would get back to normal.

Northeast Philly is tough and resilient – just like our City.

I promised them we will work tirelessly and recover together from this tragedy.

At the Town Hall, a Woman rose to speak. She was there with her grown Daughter and granddaughter, and she shared that they lived close to the crash site.

As they fled their damaged home that night – not certain if or when they would return – they carried none of their belongings.

She then shared, and I’m paraphrasing here: ‘The things we left behind are just things, Mayor. Clothing, belongings – they’re just things.’

‘I have what’s most valuable – my daughter and my grandchild. Nothing else matters.’

As I said that night in front of the crowd, “Folks? You just witnessed the spirit of what I call One Philly.”

Friends, if we all display that mother’s attitude, her resilience, there is nothing we cannot accomplish together in the City of Philadelphia!

That spirit of One Philly is part of my daily vision as Mayor:  A Safer, Cleaner, Greener City, with access to Economic Opportunity for All.

Let’s look at Public Safety.

We cannot be a competitive city that attracts businesses and helps them thrive if we do not have a city where people feel safe.

Let’s go to the tape:

Homicides are down 37 percent.

Shootings are down 36 percent.

We have 200 Philadelphia Police Officers in our neighborhoods, doing Community Policing – we promised that in Year One – it’s happening.

We are strengthening ties with community-based anti-violence organizations. It’s working.

The combination of the best Police Commissioner in the Country, Kevin J. Bethel, and our Chief Public Safety Director, Adam Geer, is making our community safer every day.

Our mantra is PIE – Prevention, Intervention and Enforcement – and it’s working. That’s One Philly, folks!

Also key to our competitiveness is being a clean city.

I promised to create a citywide program – the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives – to ensure Philadelphia becomes the cleanest and greenest big city in America.

We are delivering on that promise!

Under Clean and Green Director Carlton Williams and Sanitation Commissioner Crystal Jacobs Shipman, we have:

Cleaned over 63,000 Blocks and Commercial Corridors; towed 4,717 Abandoned Cars; and cleaned 17,311 Vacant Lots

These numbers climb daily!

We’re piloting Twice-a-Week Trash Collection and will expand it across Philadelphia.

We are partnering on cleaning with community-based organizations through our PHL Taking Care of Business program.

We’re proud of TCB and Future Track and know the best solutions – the ones we can scale and that have staying power – are the ones we build and improve together!

That is the spirit of One Philly too.

Creating Economic Opportunity is central to the Parker administration, and we are busy on that front.

Through our first-in-the-Nation City College for Municipal Employment, we are working in partnership with Community College, the School District, and others to train Philadelphians young and old for careers in City Government.

Good-paying City jobs, with health benefits and pensions and brighter economic futures!

We’re upskilling existing city employees too, training them to advance on their career pathways! We have high hopes for what we call CCME!

I want to thank not only Dr. Guy Generals and Dr. Tony Watlington, but also Philadelphia Works under Pat Clancy, and our City team – Chief Administrative Officer Camille Duchaussee, Executive Director Carol DeFries, and Chief Human Resources Officer Candi Jones – for their hard work and collaboration on CCME.

That’s the spirit of One Philly, folks!

Rest assured – we know the local economy is fueled by successful business as well as by City government.

That is why I signed the PHL Open for Business Executive Order last spring.

Our Commerce Department, led by Director Alba Martinez, is working to make it faster, easier, and less costly to do business in Philadelphia.

In addition to streamlining processes, we’re reducing timelines by providing targeted support.

We have added new Business Navigators with subject matter expertise to the Mayor’s Business Action Team.

These expert problem-solvers are partnering with departments to provide excellent customer service to hundreds of local businesses – 293 at last count.

And nearly three-quarters of Business Navigator cases are being resolved in less than two days – that’s what I call moving at the Speed of Business.

Just last week, Commerce announced a new $5 Million Small Business Catalyst Fund, providing “love capital” to businesses early in their growth journey, especially those from historically underinvested neighborhoods.

That’s not all.

The Mayor’s Business Roundtables are using the convening power of the Mayor’s Office to bring together leaders across sectors – from Eds and Meds to Sports and Entertainment – to share ideas on growing our economy and working more in partnership.

Under the leadership of our Roundtable Chairs – Ryan Boyer, Della Clark, and Greg Segal – and Director Donavan West, the Roundtables are doing the WORK.

54 Industry Sector meetings, 2 Expert Advisor Meetings, 120 business policy suggestions, and, now, 27 final pro-business policy recommendations to our Administration.

And a word now about our longstanding collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia – and particularly its Executive Committee.

When I was in Harrisburg as Chair of the Philadelphia delegation in the Pennsylvania House, I had few better allies on issues that mattered to Philadelphia than the Chamber.

Funding for Public Education, support for SEPTA, pension reform – I always knew I could count on the Chamber.

I am asking the Chamber and its leadership today to help ensure that we keep that alliance strong – on issues that matter to the City of Philadelphia and our Region.

Like Raising the Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour! Governor Shapiro just proposed it in his new State Budget, I strongly support it – let’s work together and get this done in Harrisburg!

That is the spirit of one philly, friends!

Education is the keystone to economic opportunity and we have had a busy year supporting a World-Class educational system for Philadelphia.

We’re providing nearly $250 Million in additional local investments in our Schools over the next 5 years.

We’ve created an Extended Day/Extended Year enrichment program for children in 25 schools – School District AND charter. more than 7,000 new slots in enrichment programs for our children!

We are working with K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and nonprofit partners to address one of our most pressing challenges – increasing the pipeline of certified teachers to help our students learn and thrive. It matters.

And we’re collaborating with the School District to focus on significant upgrades in the quality of our School Facilities.

Recognizing that our children are our future is the spirit of one philly as well.

That’s a recap of what we’ve done since I stood before you last year. Let’s turn to what’s ahead.

In Year Two, we will focus on my promise to create, repair, or restore 30,000 units of housing during the Parker Administration;

On delivering multi-year Collective Bargaining Agreements for our hard-working Municipal Workforce; and

On restarting Tax Reform …

We have the best municipal workers in the country!

The whole city saw them in action in northeast Philly this month – i see them in action every day!

They deserve multi-year contracts that are fair to them and fair to all of Philadelphia’s Taxpayers.

Under the Leadership of Chief Deputy Mayor Harris and our labor negotiations team, we will do everything necessary to reach fair and fiscally responsible agreements with our Municipal Unions.

Turning to housing, believe me when I tell you I think about “Mission 30,000” day and night.

Ensuring Philadelphians at all income levels, renters and homeowners, have a safe, secure, and affordable place to live is important to the stability of our neighborhoods, and is essential for economic opportunity and wealth-building.

Today, I’m excited to give you an exclusive preview of some of what’s to come in the housing plan we will work on with City Council.

First, meeting “Mission 30,000” requires us to make it faster, easier, and less expensive to construct, preserve, and repair housing units.

Our Housing experts, led by Director of Planning and Development Jessie Lawrence, have been meeting for months with key stakeholders in the field.

Next week, I will sign an Executive Order that – among other things – formally establishes an Advisory Group including:

Private, non-profit, and minority developers;

Industry groups such as BIA, GBCA, and the Building and Construction Trades Council; and

Other partners like PHA and Philadelphia Works

Those Advisors – along with City Departments, public land-holding entities, and non-profit partners – will have 30 days to:

Identify key barriers in the development process; and

Recommend solutions to streamline government processes and incentivize the creation and preservation of safe, healthy, quality housing for all City residents

They will provide concrete recommendations that are data-driven with clear cost estimates attached.

That’s not all! The Executive Order will be paired with:

My announcement of a significant City financial commitment focused on the production of new housing and preservation and restoration of existing housing; and

My transmission of a package of legislation to City Council focused on easing the production of new housing and increasing density.

“Mission 30,000” units of housing – that is the spirit of one Philly, folks!

Now I know everyone cares about our housing plans, and I know everyone believes our City’s Workforce deserve fair contracts.

But I also know everyone cares about tax reform.

We hear you.  We all want a Philadelphia that is economically competitive, and for our business community to feel their City is working with them, not against them.

The Parker administration wants a local economy that thrives and grows, that innovates and creates jobs – and tax reform is an important part of our vision.

Last year, Council President Johnson introduced legislation reviving the Tax Reform Commission, to examine our city’s tax structure and identify reforms to help make us more economically competitive. I said then I fully supported that step.

When the Tax Reform Commission delivers its final recommendations, we will review their ideas carefully and prepare a meaningful response.

I’ll have much more to say about this important topic when I deliver my FY 2026 Budget Address to Council next month.

Also top-of-mind are our Preparations for 2026.

The eyes of the Country and the World will be on Philadelphia next year, and we will be READY.

The celebration of our nation’s 250^th, the FIFA World Cup, MLB All Star Game, and countless other events – including many in Neighborhoods all across the City – will show the World how Philadelphia celebrates.

Our 2026 efforts are being ably led by 2026 Director Michael Newmuis, with strong support from our wonderful City Representative and Director of Special Events, Jazelle Jones.

We will ensure the right resources – city, state, federal – are available to support this critically important work.

That includes investing in a robust marketing campaign led by our allies at VISIT Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. thank you – Angela Val at VISIT Philadelphia and Gregg Caren at the Convention and Visitors Bureau – for all your organizations are doing!

We want the Country and the World to come to Philadelphia – most visitors will arrive through our world-class Airport.

Atif Saeed, where are you? We need you and your tremendous team now more than ever!

You keep adding new destinations – Mexico City is next! Save a seat for your Mayor and keep up the great work at PHL!!

I also want to lift up the business and philanthropic leaders who are already involved – showing the civic commitment we need to make our 2026 celebrations a success.

The Neubauer Family Foundation, William Penn Foundation, Connelly Foundation, Comcast, Hamilton Family Charitable Trust, and Pew Charitable Trusts – thank you! If you’re here, please have your Representatives stand to accept our thanks.

That is the spirit of One Philly!

I know our time is short, but I want to touch on two more topics.

Both show how, in the Parker Administration,

We don’t shy away from big challenges… we take them on – collaboratively.

As you may have heard … the 76ers will build their new arena in South Philadelphia, not Center City.

Once we got over the shock and awe of the new partnership and change in location, I called it for what it was — a “Curveball.” But ultimately, it’s a Win-Win-Win for our City, Comcast and the Sixers.

Two of our city’s most important business partners, Comcast and the Sixers, are publicly committed to bringing bold vision, new investment, and jobs to our city – in South Philadelphia and Center City.

We will revitalize our Market Street East Corridor, keep our Sixers home, see a new arena rise in South Philadelphia and — let’s speak it into existence – with a WNBA franchise!

All of that work done last year will inform all our work to come! None of it was in vain!

While our FY2026 Budget proposal, Housing Plan and revitalizing Market Street East will be first on our docket this Spring, we are fully prepared to review any new proposal that Comcast and the Sixers present to us.

Our team, led by my tremendous Chief of Staff Tiffany Thurman, will work in collaboration with City Council, led by President Johnson and all Members, PIDC and other partners to examine the new proposal.

And I am proud to announce I have asked Jerry Sweeney, of Brandywine Trust, who chairs our Center City Revitalization Business Roundtable, to be the Civic Leader on these critical next steps for the Parker administration.

Stay tuned for more information on this front!

When I stood before you a year ago, I said: “The status quo in Kensington is unacceptable. Help is on the way.”

I could not accept that a once-proud Philadelphia neighborhood had been allowed to devolve into one of the worst-open-air drug markets on the East Coast.

I refused to believe we couldn’t restore Kensington for its residents and help people get the care and treatment they need.

Following our Standard Operating Procedure, Step One was to bring together the major care providers to hear from them what is working and what’s not.

Many, if not all, of those institutions are here today: the University of Pennsylvania Health System/Kevin Mahoney, Jefferson/Dr. Joe Cacchione, Temple Health/Michael Young – thank you for working with us! Stand up, please!

When I proposed a $100 Million capital investment in my first One Philly budget to seed our Wellness Ecosystem – expanding the treatment and housing continuum – there were plenty of naysayers who said “It cannot be done. It won’t happen.”

Well, it did happen!

Last month, we officially opened the doors to Riverview Wellness Village, in Northeast Philadelphia.

Riverview is a cornerstone of our new Wellness Ecosystem through which we’ll support many more people to achieve recovery and stabilization with permanent, affordable, and dignified housing.

In record-breaking time, we took an existing, vacant City property and renovated it into high-quality recovery housing with 336 beds, with more to come!

Managing Director Adam Thiel, all your staff, our Building Trades, and the Kensington Caucus in City Council – thank you for your service!

These strategic steps – Riverview Wellness Village; the Wellness Court that we unveiled with our city judicial system and Chief Public Safety Director Geer last month in Kensington; our efforts to treat our homelessness problem in Center City – are all part of a model of how we are moving forward in the Parker administration – can you see it?

A Wellness Ecosystem that gives people a place to go to be treated for substance abuse, mental and behavioral health, and homelessness, and a judicial system that handles individuals with empathy – we are changing how the City of Philadelphia treats these seemingly intractable problems.

Because if we work together? Anything is solvable.

That’s the spirit of One Philly.

The great poet and author Maya Angelou once wrote, ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’

When I talk with regular people across Philadelphia – not political people – they tell me they feel something is happening, they say they feel and see a changing City …

Public safety improving, a cleaner City emerging, economic opportunity taking root, educational enrichment growing … change is in the wind.

Can you see it, touch it, feel it?

We made unprecedented progress in the first year of the Parker Administration and, with your help, we will build on that success this year and in the years ahead.

We remain laser-focused on our goal: A Safer, Cleaner and Greener Philadelphia, with Access to Economic Opportunity for All.

Thank you!