Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker is starting her second year in office with a clear plan for the city.
She recently spoke at the annual Chamber of Commerce luncheon, where she shared her main goals for 2025.
She talked about making housing more affordable, changing the tax system to support businesses, improving public safety, and preparing the city for major events in 2026.
She focuses on making Philadelphia safer, cleaner, and a better place for residents and businesses.
Housing is at the top of Parker’s list. She has been talking about her “Mission 30,000” plan for a while now, and she’s making it a top priority this year.
Her goal is to create, fix, or keep 30,000 housing units across the city so that more people can have a safe and affordable place to live.
She knows that building this many homes won’t be easy, so she’s putting together a team of experts, including real estate developers, affordable housing advocates, and industry leaders, to help figure out the best way to get it done.
In addition, she’s planning to invest a lot of city money into new housing projects, home repairs, and other housing programs.
She also wants to make it easier for developers to build by changing certain city rules to allow for more housing in different areas.
Thus, she’ll work with the City Council to pass new laws that encourage more housing construction and speed up the process.
Parker also pays close attention to taxes.
Many business owners in the city have been saying that Philadelphia’s high business and wage taxes make it hard to grow and hire more workers.
Parker didn’t say for sure whether she’ll lower taxes, but she did say that she’s open to major tax reform.
Right now, a special group called the Tax Reform Commission is reviewing the city’s tax system and will soon make recommendations.
Many people believe they will suggest cutting the Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT), which could help make the city more business-friendly.
However, Parker also needs to ensure that any tax changes will not affect the city’s ability to fund important services.
Market East is another area that needs attention, a part of Center City that has struggled in recent years.
A few months ago, the 76ers were planning to build a new basketball arena there, but after a long debate, they changed their minds and decided to stay in South Philadelphia instead.
Parker said that even though the original arena plan didn’t work out, the city is still focused on bringing new businesses and energy to Market East.
She doesn’t want to rush into anything, but she promised that a solid plan would be developed soon.
Jerry Sweeney, the CEO of Brandywine Realty Trust, and Paul Levy, the head of Center City District, are working with the city to figure out what’s next for the area.
Nevertheless, Parker is also thinking about small businesses.
Last week, the city introduced the $5 million Small Business Catalyst Fund, which will offer grants of up to $50,000 to help small businesses grow.
This program is especially focused on businesses that are in historically underfunded neighborhoods.
To qualify, businesses must earn less than $2 million per year and have a strong growth plan.
Applications will open in May.
The city is also working to make things easier for business owners.
The Department of Commerce, led by Alba Martinez, has a team of business navigators who help companies cut through red tape and get answers faster.
So far, they’ve helped nearly 300 businesses, and most issues are being resolved in just two days.
Public safety is another area in which Parker is making progress.
Crime has been a big issue in Philadelphia, but there’s some good news—homicides are down 37% compared to last year, and shootings have dropped 36%.
Parker credits this to the city’s new approach to policing, which focuses on getting officers into neighborhoods to build relationships with the community.
Right now, 200 officers are assigned to community policing roles, working directly with residents to prevent crime before it happens.
Parker’s team believes that this prevention, intervention, and enforcement is helping to make the city safer.
Furthermore, Parker is dealing with Philadelphia’s drug crisis, especially in Kensington, where open-air drug use has been a huge problem.
Last month, Philadelphia opened the Riverview Wellness Village in Northeast Philadelphia, a 336-bed facility that provides addiction treatment, mental health care, and housing support.
Additionally, the city launched a wellness court in Kensington, which gives people struggling with addiction the chance to get treatment instead of facing criminal charges.
Parker believes this approach will help break the cycle of drug use and homelessness in the city.
Looking ahead, Philadelphia is also getting ready for a huge year in 2026.
The city will be a major part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations, and Parker wants to make sure everything is ready.
Philadelphia will be hosting big events such as the FIFA World Cup and the MLB All-Star Game, as well as many historical and cultural celebrations.
Therefore, Parker’s administration is working to secure funding from local, state, and federal sources.
Concurrently, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau and Visit Philadelphia are launching a major marketing campaign to attract visitors from around the world.
Of course, the past year hasn’t been without its challenges.
Parker mentioned the tragic medical transport plane crash that happened last month in Northeast Philadelphia, which killed six people on board and one person on the ground.
The city’s emergency responders worked quickly to help, and Parker praised their efforts.
On a lighter note, she also mentioned one of the city’s major successes—the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl victory.
Parker also took a moment to discuss the last-minute change in the 76ers arena deal.
The team had spent years pushing for a new arena in Market East but suddenly decided to partner with Comcast to build their new home in South Philadelphia instead.
While some saw this as a setback, Parker framed it as a win.
She said the city can now move forward with a fresh plan for Market East while keeping the Sixers in Philadelphia in a way that works for everyone.
As she finished her speech, Parker said she believed real progress was happening in Philadelphia.
Crime is down, businesses are getting more support, and new housing projects are in the works.
But she also knows there’s a lot more to do.
Her administration will work on the city’s budget over the next few months, and that’s when many of these plans will start to take shape.
Residents, business owners, and city officials will watch closely to see if these ideas turn into real action.
