Philly leaders say Wawa’s ‘safety and security concerns’ don’t mean Center City is dangerous

Philadelphia leaders pushed back on the narrative that Center City is a dangerous place after Wawa cited safety concerns when it announced Thursday that it is closing two downtown locations.

Mayor Jim Kenney downplayed the closures, saying he doesn’t “think it’s a bad omen at all,” noting that Center City has become increasingly busy as Philadelphia’s economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

“These two particular locations have certain issues that they had to deal with that was costing them money, and it wasn’t really worth it to keep them open,” Kenney told reporters at a Friday morning news conference. “We’re really happy with our relationship with Wawa. They’re involved in everything that we do from [the July 4 celebration] Wawa Welcome America to the Police Athletic League and all of these things.”

Wawa’s decision to close the Center City locations comes after Starbucks in July announced the closure of its store at 10th and Chestnut Streets, along with 15 other stores elsewhere in the country. The coffee giant also cited public safety concerns as a factor.

Paul Levy, who leads the Center City District, said that while it was disappointing Wawa was closing the two stores — one at 12th and Market Streets, and the other at 19th and Market Streets — the post-pandemic resurgence of downtown Philadelphia is continuing.

Before the pandemic, 88% of Center City retail space was occupied, said Levy, whose organization provides sidewalk sweeping and other services funded by a tax on downtown businesses. That plummeted to 54% following the city-ordered business shutdowns in 2020, and has since rebounded to 83% occupancy.

“Anyone closing like this is not a piece of good news, and Wawa is obviously a major regional corporate presence that is very valuable to the city in many ways,” Levy said. “But I don’t think this happens purely in isolation. I think there are business trends. I think there are other trends that they’re responding to.”

Despite the gun violence crisis that has led to a record-setting pace of shootings and homicides, Center City remains a safe place to eat, shop, and work, Levy said.

Not all city officials are as optimistic. In a statement to The Inquirer earlier this week before the announced closures, City Councilmember Mike Driscoll said he is concerned “that the ongoing violence and sense of lawlessness right now could likely result in a business of any size to consider their future role and position in our city.”

“I believe that Wawa was the latest expression of this concern after the recent incident they experienced in my district and previously in Center City,” Driscoll said.

Major crimes rose 9% in Center City during the first seven months of this year compared to the same period in 2019, a combination of incidents such as murders, assaults, burglaries, and thefts, according to an Inquirer analysis of city crime data.

The Center City District has raised $600,000 to launch a squad of unarmed bike patrol security officers and to bolster its outreach services for people experiencing homelessness, all in the hopes of making the public feel safer downtown.

Philadelphians who shop at or work near the two Wawas that are closing said the debate over crime in Center City is less important than the loss of a store that played a major role in their lives. For them, Wawa’s decision to close felt like a betrayal.

Mark Bolt, a street vendor who sells apparel at 10th and Market, said Wawa’s retreat could create “a chain reaction” among nearby business owners, who he felt should stick together during rough times.

“Once Wawa closes, it’ll give Marshalls a reason to say ‘We’re closing’ too,” Bolt said. “It’s the wrong move. They need to hire more security and show force.”

Three mothers pushing baby strollers outside at 12th and Market on Friday afternoon said the branch was part of their daily routine downtown. “They love our kids here,” said Antoinette Thornton. “We come here to eat, and we’re sad they’re closing down.”

Brittany Koch said that while thefts and minor nuisances around the store are frequent, shuttering the massive corner store would only attract more problems to East Market.

“How is this going to make the city safer? Yeah, I see someone stealing a drink or two, but they stop ‘em and take the drink out of their hands,” Koch said. “It’s nothing I would think you need to close an entire store over.”

In announcing the closures, Wawa did not speak to the volume of criminal incidents at the two targeted stores.

But incident data at Wawa stores citywide show those locations were not the most crime-burdened. Over the last two years, police reported 42 incidents around the Wawa at 19th and Market, 34 of which were thefts, while the Wawa at 12th and Market had 19 reported incidents, including 15 thefts.

But the Wawa location on 16th and Ranstead Streets near City Hall — which has not been targeted for closure — reported the most incidents of any branch in that time period: 151 thefts, four robberies, and a burglary.

Two popular Wawa locations along Aramingo Avenue in the city’s River Wards also topped the list for most reported incidents.

Draya LaMacchia, another regular at the 12th and Market branch, said she felt the two closures would do more good for competing convenience stores than they would for public safety in Center City.

“7-Eleven is gonna love this,” LaMacchia said.

Staff writers Anna Orso and Dylan Purcell contributed reporting.