As a wrecking ball swung at the site of the collapsed Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s parking garage, chipping away chunks of the wreckage, about 35 community members and city leaders gathered less than a mile away to talk about safety efforts and what’s next.
City officials hosted the community meeting Saturday morning inside Vare Recreation Center to provide updates and give neighbors a space to ask questions and voice concerns.
“The work to bring this structure down safely has already begun,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said. “This remains an active and ongoing investigation.”
Parker emphasized that Saturday’s meeting was not intended to focus on the future of the contentious CHOP garage, which before its collapse was roundly criticized by city planners, design experts, and local residents.
“I don’t want to see a rehashing about why the garage was being built,” Parker said. “That’s not the subject.”
Rather, Saturday focused on outlining emergency operations and giving neighbors direct access to city officials to make them feel safe.
Questions and answers were limited to community members, not members of the press.
The meeting started with officials outlining the city’s emergency response and the transition from victim rescue to recovery.
City Managing Director Adam Thiel said the city is working with a team of subject matter experts, including first responders who were on site during the 2021 Surfside condo collapse in Miami.
He said that the investigation would likely be lengthy and he understands the frustrations that brings.
“You all know what firefighters do,” said Thiel, a former city fire commissioner. “We hurl ourselves into burning buildings without a second of thought. … So believe me, it is difficult for us [too] to be patient. … But that process is necessary for safety.”
Dominick Mireles, deputy managing director of community safety, said that much of the team standing before residents Saturday is the same team that worked on the Northeast Philadelphia plane crash last year.
Mireles outlined some of the precautions put in place and actions the city is taking, including using water to control construction dust, monitoring vibrations to see how the ground moves, and conducting door-to-door home surveys.
The city also launched an emergency grant program for businesses facing hardships related to the collapse.
On Sunday, the city will host a free food event at D Finnegan Playground, on 30th and Wharton Streets, beginning at noon to help compensate for the closure of the Fresh Grocer grocery store because of the garage collapse.
Health commissioner Palak Raval-Nelson was also in attendance to talk about air quality, and said a mobile monitoring van will stay in place throughout the parking garage’s demolition and aftermath.
Raval-Nelson also touted Breathe Philly, the city health department’s free app and website that gives hourly air quality measurements based on location.
The meeting remained cordial, and during the question-and-answer portion, several neighbors emphasized their gratitude to officials, in addition to their desire for continued accountability.
Not in attendance at Saturday’s meeting were representatives from CHOP. Parker said this was a city meeting and that CHOP officials were stationed at the demolition site. She said there would be more, separate meetings regarding the future of the area and that Saturday’s meeting was meant to focus on resources currently available.
A handful of neighbors voiced frustration with the city’s canvassing and surveying efforts, saying that they hadn’t been contacted yet or were having issues hearing back from 311 despite repeated calls. Officials acknowledged shortfalls but said the situation was rapidly evolving. They said the goal of Saturday’s meeting was to allow those types of issues to be directly addressed on the spot.
There were also suggestions, including posting updates — like the ones the city provides via the city website (phila.gov) at central areas, like D Finnegan Playground for neighbors who can’t access the internet. Officials said they would take all ideas into consideration.
Several neighbors voiced concerns about how close the parking garage site is to their homes.
Mireles responded, saying the seven-level structure was tall and seeing it “does not mean that you’re at risk.” City officials don’t anticipate any evacuation scenarios. They encouraged residents to photograph their homes as demolition progresses.
As the meeting wrapped, residents echoed their gratitude for the meeting and their hope for more — and for more discourse with CHOP regarding the future of the space.
“We see you,” Mayor Parker said. “It’s our job to make sure you get those questions addressed. We want to get you back to your normal standard of living.”
She added, “We are not going anywhere. And we will be back.”