Nutter reflects on last eight years

Sans necktie, a peaceful-looking Michael Nutter reflected on some areas of personal growth during his eight years as mayor of Philadelphia Thursday.

Nutter used Thursday’s press conference – his last as mayor – to announce plans for a $10 million study for Old City. Nutter said the study would look into the area around I-95 at Penn’s Landing, from Chestnut Street to Walnut Street, with the intent to eliminate barriers, better access the waterfront and revitalize the neighborhoods around that area. Results from the study will come later.

But perhaps most telling from Thursday’s press conference was the candidness with which Nutter expressed his gratitude and appreciation for his staff, his constituents and even the Third Estate, which has covered him doggedly for the last eight years.

“I’ve become much more personally emotional during the course of the last eight years,” he confessed.

“I still don’t exactly know what that’s about but…it’s not that I didn’t have feelings before, but something has happened.”

Nutter said plans to take January off before announcing his plans for the future, other than campaigning for Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.

Nutter said he’s kept a Bible very close to him in his City Hall office and has turned to it often at various times for guidance.

“Sometimes, faith will be all you have,” he said.