November 24, 2002
Remarks of Peter J. Liacouras, Chancellor of Temple University
at a Luncheon Celebrating the Fifth Anniversary of The Liacouras Center
of
Temple University, in the Fox-Gittis Room
The origin for this
complex of six buildings dates back twenty years ago, and in the next five
minutes I’ll share a very short history of the project.
It was in 1982 that the University began to
confront head-on its image as an institution whose location was, for 90% of the
5 million people in the Greater Philadelphia Region, indistinguishable from
what they considered to be “unsafe
North Philadelphia.” While Temple had not lost faith with its neighbors, the
predictable impacts from those public misperceptions had damaged Temple’s
enrollment and Temple Hospital’s patient-payer mix, and the University’s future
as a comprehensive, research university housed mainly in North Central
Philadelphia was seriously threatened.
The question which drove
our strategic thinking became this:
A critical component in our multi-faceted
response was to transform,
over time, the Main Campus
from a commuter destination into a wholesome residential campus as part of a
“Temple Town,” and to be good neighbors as well.
Many of you will recall the marketing
campaign, begun in 1983, highlighting Temple’s academic excellence. Most
visible to the public was the pioneering television vignettes by alumnus Bill
Cosby, featuring the line:
“We could have gone just about anywhere.…
We chose Temple!”
This initiative followed the excitement, in
late 1982, when Temple “T” banners suddenly appeared on light standards along
Broad Street and other parts of Temple’s campuses. Those banners, unique at the time, proudly demarcated our
campuses and also planted another seed to unravel public confusion about
“Temple” and “North Philadelphia.”
We quickly moved our home basketball games
from the Palestra to McGonigle Hall on the Main Campus, thus placing thousands
of persons at highly publicized, safe and joyful events at Temple.
Moving to McGonigle was not a basketball
decision for a home-court advantage. It
was an integral part of a strategy to increase, over time, the number of
students living on the Main Campus and the quality of their experiences.
Just as with our academic ambitions, we
aspired to a national program in men’s basketball in 1982 when John Chaney
became our Head Coach. And we knew we
could not compete nationally without a much larger facility than McGonigle’s
3,900 seats. We first considered
expanding McGonigle, but that was not feasible.
Then, by 1988 a University-Community Task
Force had considered a basketball-only facility of 8,000 on the East Campus --
near the Kardon Building at 10th and Berks. But our neighbors thought its presence there
would be disruptive to the quality of life because of traffic and parking
matters, and we respected their wishes.
Meanwhile, we had opened quiet discussions
with Dan Polett about the Wilkie Buick site on Broad Street and adjacent
properties he owned. Later, Temple purchased this remarkable parcel which
eventually became the site for this Center.
In 1995, building on Associate Vice
President Thomas Anderson’s three decades of highly effective work with our
neighbors, Temple Executive Vice President James S. White, a respected and
beloved Philadelphian, chaired a Temple-Community Task Force to determine the
desirability and feasibility of this project on the old Wilkie site.
This Task Force was dominated by
community members, led by a
distinguished North Philadelphian, Floyd Alston. The Task Force identified the short and long term hopes and needs
of the community, including those of the Cecil B. Moore Business Association,
Civic Associations and other neighbors.
Temple cooperated fully with the recommendations of the Task Force, offered immediate and long term technical
assistance for the renaissance of the Cecil B. Moore area between Broad and 16th
Streets, including housing, and became the prime tenant in the Beech
Corporation’s exciting redevelopment of a landmark building at 15th
and Cecil B. Moore.
Temple’s implementation of these
recommendations included more than $10 million of support to help revitalize
the community.
So, with the support of our adjacent communities, Temple formally decided to build this complex of 6 buildings, not just a sports facility: the 10,200 seat multiple-purpose arena, the Esther Boyer Theater, the Independence Blue Cross Student Recreational Center, a Parking center, renovation of Vivacqua Hall, and the long-awaited Educational-Community Center (for which President Adamany, the Mayor and community leaders happily broke ground this month).
Community projects in an old city almost always stir controversy --
controversy within the institution, in the external communities, and among
government officials. This one was a
massive project for North Philadelphia, exceeding $100 million.
Such massive projects become lightening rods for everything that ails a
depressed community. Awakened by the
excitement of implementing dreams for the future, but with personal and vicarious
experiences of dashed hopes and benign neglect, we are confronted by lingering
self-doubts about the likelihood of any “renaissance.”
We were not disappointed.
Controversy swirled around this project.
Following delays and further consultations, however, and with strong
political support from the State and our adjacent community, we finally broke
ground on January 25, 1996.
Five years ago next month Bill Cosby led us in a thrilling opening
ceremony when he declaimed in his unique humor: “Temple is now out of the
closet.”
The State provided $38 million of the more than $100 million for this
6-headed project. More than $60 million
was raised from private sources for both this complex and the Tuttleman
Learning Center, an exciting and parallel project.
Many of you contributed to that “Commonwealth
Challenge, Plus” campaign, including those who became investors. Through memorial bricks and other
techniques, thousands of alumni, friends and community residents also
contributed and thereby attained a sense of ownership.
The Center has had a huge impact on our
long-term goal of improving enrollment, creating a vital residential campus and
“Temple Town, supporting the renaissance of the adjacent communities – and all
this while maintaining fidelity to our mission.
And now with Head Coach Dawn Staley, we can
look forward to a women’s basketball program of national stature, bringing
added renown to Temple and this Center.
The
Liacouras Center is a testament to those who believe we can change and improve
Temple and its neighborhoods, and do so without diluting our mission or losing
our way. It is that same loyalty and
Temple pedigree that President Adamany and his administration need from you, as
they face new challenges in the quest for Temple to be the best at what we do.
So, thank you, and I wish you many happy
returns of the day for your Center.