Days before Philadelphia’s first FIFA World Cup match and ahead of July 4th celebrations, Jefferson Health and Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration opened a new “public safety hub” Tuesday along Market Street in Center City.
The station, housed within Jefferson Center, is designed to enhance collaboration between the university’s police, hospital security, the Philadelphia Police Department, SEPTA transit police and other law enforcement agencies.
Parker said, “This coordination right now is more important than ever,” given the anticipated crowds for the global soccer tournament and festivities surrounding the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The space includes a large conference room, holding cells and offices, with a primary entrance on 11th Street between Market and Filbert streets. Just above SEPTA’s Jefferson Station, attendees at Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting could hear Regional Rail train announcements.
City Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes the area, said the need for an enhanced law enforcement presence arose during discussions over the 76ers' proposed arena, which would have occupied a section of the Fashion District mall.
Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), the NBA team’s owner, gave up on the controversial plan in January 2025; however, the Parker administration remained committed to the safety hub, even though funding was supposed to come from HBSE, Squilla said.
Parker presented a ceremonial $1 million check from the city to Jefferson officials on Tuesday to support the project. She said the police station is “directly connected” to her team’s efforts to revitalize Market East, the former home of many of the city’s hulking department stores.
In early May, her administration celebrated the opening of a handful of pop-up shops in a string of shuttered storefronts. Earlier this year, the Market East Advisory Group began meeting to come up with a long-term vision for the stretch between City Hall and Independence Mall.
“Jefferson is all-in on revitalization of Market East,” Dr. Joseph Cacchione, the health system’s CEO, said.
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