The Spring Fest at Dilworth Plaza

April 29, 2002 Through June 28, 2002

The City of Philadelphia Department of Commerce is supporting a new business opportunity for small businesspersons of our city. During the past holiday season, the City of Philadelphia sponsored a Holiday Festival Mall at Dilworth Plaza. The success of the event has encouraged the city’s Commerce Department to sponsor a Spring Fest at Dilworth Plaza.

The Spring Fest is envisioned as an outdoor market area, hosting a collection of merchants and artists. Participants will be chosen through a selection committee. The festival is scheduled to run from Monday, April 29, 2002 to Friday, June 28, 2002 and will allow for businesspersons to take advantage of the lunch time crowd in Center City and also become a part of the Department of Commerce’s efforts to promote shopping in downtown Philadelphia.

The Commerce Department invites you to participate in this wonderful activity. We also invite you to share the news of this opportunity with colleagues, students, or any artist or merchant who might be interested. Enclosed for your review is a Fact Sheet on the Mall, Guidelines, and information on the selection process.

Please submit six copies of your proposal to the Department of Commerce, attention of:

Bilal Abdul Qayyum, Economic Development Administrator,
1515 Arch Street, 12th Floor,
Philadelphia, PA 19103.

City of Philadelphia
Department of Commerce
Philadelphia Spring Fest Mall

FACT SHEET

The following is a description of the Spring Festival Mall to be set up as part of the City of Philadelphia’s spring and summer celebration. The Department of Commerce will sponsor the use of open space at Dilworth Plaza as a mall for small businesses to sell merchandise. The mall will operate from Monday, April 29, 2002 to Friday, June 28, 2002.

The existing stalls built at Dilworth Plaza, City Hall, can house ten businesses (see attached map). The Commerce Department will select ten businesses that will sell different merchandise for the spring/summer season. The Spring Fest will give small businesses an opportunity to sell seasonal merchandise in a downtown location that normally would not be made available for small businesses. Also, the mall will give the City another way to help promote shopping in Center City.
The Commerce Department will oversee the Spring Festival Mall by establishing a five-member panel. The panel will be made up of the following: one member of the African American Chamber of Commerce, one member from Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation, one member from Managing Director’s Office, one member from the City Representative Office and one business person at large. The panel will receive proposals from an open solicitation of businesses interested in operating a stall at the mall.

Once the panelists have reviewed the business proposals and made their recommendation to Commerce, the City of Philadelphia’s Commerce Department will enter into a lease agreement with the individuals who have been selected to open up for the season. The selection process will be based on merchandise mix as specified in the open call for proposals. The selected merchants will be required to submit a $100 security deposit in order to reserve the stall. Upon the completion of the term of contract, the City will refund this fee in full provided that the stall does not require any repairs resulting from damage caused by the merchant.

GUIDELINES

The Philadelphia Festival Mall
Standards and Operating Guidelines
These guidelines have been created to help ensure consistent business practices, conduct and presentation.

I. GENERAL RULES

Hours of Operation- As stated in the License Agreement, all vendors are required to be open and ready for business no later than 10:00 A.M. and close no earlier than 6:00 P.M. If normal operating hours or any additional hours that may be required by Licensor are not maintained, Licensees will be considered in violation of the License Agreement and subject to default and /or damages equal to $50.00 for every hour Licensee fails to operate, as provided in the License Agreement.
Merchandise- Licensee can only sell those items that are agreed upon in advance by the Licensor and specified in the License Agreement. New products must be approved in writing before they can be sold.
Relocation – You may not relocate or change your stall with another vendor without the permission of the City’s Mall Manager. The location of all vendors is at the discretion of the Mall Manager and will be subject to change whenever Licensor determines it is appropriate.
Mercantile Licenses and Requirements – Licensee must obtain and provide to the City a copy of the following:
Philadelphia Business Privilege License
Philadelphia Tax Identification Number
Insurance – Licensee is responsible for obtaining and maintaining: current General Public Liability Insurance with a minimum limit of $ 1,000, 000.00. Business Automobile Liability, covering owned, non-owned and hired vehicles, with a minimum limit of $100,000 combined single limit coverage; Statutory Worker Compensation coverage for Personal Property Insurance.

II. Employee Guidelines

Strong sales and a successful retail venture come from Sales Associates who conduct themselves in a responsible business-like manner.
Staffing Requirements – Licensee’s stall must be attended at all times. Unattended Vendor stall will be considered closed and fines will be assessed as outlined above under "Hours of Operation."
Conduct – Customer service should be the main focus of all Sales Associates. Therefore breaks and other personal business should be limited during business hours and someone should be available to service patrons at all times.III. General Maintenance
Storage – Licensees may not store boxes or merchandise on the area outside of the business stall. Coats and personal belongings should be kept out of sight, secured inside the unit.
Housekeeping – Licensee is responsible for keeping the area neat, clean and orderly. All units must be the responsibility of the Licensee. Licensee is responsible for keeping the areas inside the stall maintained at all time. The City will keep the Plaza area clean. Vendor will be fined a figure of $25 per day until housekeeping problems are resolved.
Stall Care – Licensees may not deface the stall in any way and may not attach merchandise or display fixture with nails, screws, double –sided tape, bolts, staples, etc. Nothing should be attached to the stall, placed on the outside or hung from stall itself without an approved fixture.
Locks – Licensee is required to provide security for the stall, to include Three (3) padlocks. In addition, Licensee will be providing two (2) keys that may not be duplicated. Licensee is solely responsible for the keys. Should Licensee lose a key or fail to return both keys at the close of the term, Licensee will be assessed a charge of $75.00 to cover the cost of a new lock and locksmith services.
IV. Security
Responsibility – The City is not responsible for cash, merchandise, or personal property brought anywhere on the premises. Licensee is responsible for securing all merchandise at night.
Shoplifting – It is helpful to form a policy on shoplifting and communicate that policy to all Sales Associates. While the Police Department will maintain a high profile to help deter any potential problems that may arise, shoplifting is a merchant issue and should be handled as such. In the event of a shoplifting emergency, contact the Philadelphia Police Department at 911 immediately.

VII. Evaluations

The high quality appearance of the Mall Leasing Program is essential to its success. Evaluations will be made to ensure consistency in meeting operating criteria as described here, including, but not limited to, all aspects of merchandise presentation, operations and
staffing requirements. Adherence to the terms of the License Agreement will also be reviewed. Recommendations for improvement will be made where appropriate.

VIII. Termination

Violation of these rules by Licensee or any employee of the Licensee may result in the termination of the License Agreement and forfeiture of all monies paid as more specifically provided in the License Agreement.

IX. Disclaimer

These rules and regulations are hereby set forth as a final expression of the requirements of each Licensee to remain in good standing and in accordance with all terms and conditions of the License Agreement. The Licensor reserves the right to modify these Operational Guidelines at any time, notifying the Licensee in writing of such changes, and granting the Licensee a twenty-four (24) hour period in which to ensure full compliance.

Selection Process

A Business Panel ("Panel") will be convened at the time the selection process is initiated. The Panel will be comprised of at least two businesspersons at large and three individuals from government. Only proposals responsive to the request for business proposals, as determined solely by the City of Philadelphia Commerce Department, will be reviewed and evaluated by the Panel.

Please direct further inquiries on the application process to:

Bilal Qayyum
Economic Development Administrator
Department of Commerce
City of Philadelphia
1515 Arch Street, 12th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-683-2092