Chinese Millionaires Coming After All?

Hey, it turns out the Chinese Millionaires might be investing here after all! To recap: The U.S. government apparently has some program that allows millionaires to give U.S. businesses low-rate loans in exchange for green cards. Immigration is pretty good, usually, and immigration by millionaires is even better. Soon the streets will be lined with millionaire money!

Well, the Convention Center had a chance to get some Chinese millionaires to invest, but: “We considered it. We looked at it. But it was kind of a bridge too far… too complex for us to consider.” Building a bridge from China to Philadelphia is kind of complex! But now Ed Rendell wants them to invest after all!

“At a time when investment capital is very difficult to obtain due to the financial crisis, the Welcome Fund can provide some of the private capital that is critical to the success of economic development initiatives throughout the commonwealth,” Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo said in an e-mail yesterday.

“We strongly support such job-creating investment in our economy, both with respect to the Pennsylvania Convention Center as well as many other transactions around the state.”

Wow. First Chinese Democracy, now Chinese millionaires? What will they think of next?

Rendell pushing to use Chinese loans for Convention Center [Inquirer]

Convention Ctr. Expansion Going As Expected

When I interned on the 15th floor of a big office building in Center City years back, we used to eat lunch on the steps of the Gallery at Ninth and Market. Every day, we’d stare out at the Disney hole and marvel at its beauty. Now that the hole has been demolished in favor of a surface parking lot, something’s been missing from Center City.

But never fear! As these webcam photos show, there is a new, bigger Disney Hole-esque plot in Center City: The Convention Center expansion! Yes, the buildings have been down for a little bit now, but it wasn’t ’til today that I realized the possibility for this thing to drag on and on and on and on until the Narcotics Anonymous convention isn’t coming anymore.

Here’s today’s good news:

The Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority has opened the bids for the most expensive phase of the center’s expansion, and a Delaware Valley-based joint venture — the same joint venture that won the phase-one contract with a bid 20 percent over budget — is the apparent low bidder.

Yeah, I know it seems like all that means is the convention center’s going to be over budget, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Photo by It’s Our City, Creative Commons license

Chinese Millionaires And Porn

A reader sends in this screenshot from the front of Philly.com earlier. And what great stories: Chinese millionaires turned away by the Convention Center and Comcast’s signing of some anti-child porn code. See, sometimes there is exciting news in the summer.

Also awesome: Chinese millionaires have invested $3 million in Stephen Starr’s Continental Midtown.

Broad Street To Be Closed For 8 Days

Know what would make this whole Convention Center expansion even better than knocking down some old buildings? Right: Closing off Broad Street for eight days. Duh, why didn’t we think of this before?

Starting tomorrow at 5 a.m., Broad will be closed off from JFK Boulevard to Race Street northbound and from Race Street to Arch Street southbound. SEPTA’s buses will have a bunch of detours (see the map from KYW 1060 at right).

The closing is taking place because of the demolishing of a building at Broad and Cherry streets; the Convention Center expansion project director says: “It’s kind of an extraordinary circumstance. And the measures taken for public safety reasons are also extraordinary.” Oh, well it’s all okay if it’s an extraordinary situation, then. I thought it was more inconvenient, but now I understand.

Convention Center Work Will Close North Broad St. for Eight Days [KYW 1060]

Leftovers: Not-So-Sexy Sex

• ABC News reports on — what else? — sex today, informing readers of women who are allergic to sex. Or, more specifically, to the proteins in semen. Wearing a condom is a fix, and if you’re trying to get pregnant, you can have conceive the kid in this sexy manner: “In these situations, it is possible to have a specialized lab separate the sperm from the semen, a process known as ’sperm washing.’ Your gynecologist will then inseminate the sperm directly into your uterus.” Rawr! [6 ABC]

• Compulsive gamblers will be able to register with the state’s casinos in order to have themselves banned from entry, thus preventing the problem of compulsively throwing your money away, at least at that location. Of course, this will be done with by asking both casinos to police their own list themselves! Yes, this is going to work out well. [KYW 1060]

• Meanwhile, in Bucks County, local geese are being attacked with blowgun darts. Oh, Bristol, what won’t you do? [Bucks County Courier Times]

• The Convention Center expansion is rolling along smoothly without any problems whatsoever. [Daily News]

• Oh, and best of luck to all the Philadelphia Rock Paper Scissors experts heading to Toronto for the World Champs this weekend. If you’re wondering, I am not the best RPS referee in the world. [World RPS Society]

Leftovers: No, This Is Not Suspicious At All

• With the Convention Center expansion getting ready to drop the wrecking ball on nearby properties, the executive director of the Redevelopment Authority goes up and resigns! Fortunately, we still have Johnny Doc to kick around in the Authority. [Inquirer]

• The Wharton professor charged with child porn and related charges in Virginia now has similar charges filed stemming from images found in his office in Philadelphia. [Inquirer]

• Pitcher Brian Mazone was all set to make his major league debut yesterday for the Phillies; rain cancelled his start, and now he’s back in the minors and probably won’t ever pitch in the big leagues. Mother Nature is a bitch. [Bucks County Courier Times]

• OMG NEW FACEBOOK FEATURES REVOLT REVOLT! [Daily Pennsylvanian]

Convention center expansion already bringing in the big names

Aaaaand the first official convention booked into the expanded convention center, which will knock down everything in its path to Broad Street and should be finished by 2008…

Narcotics Anonymous -– a group of recovering drug addicts –- has decided to book its 2013 International convention here in what will be an expanded convention center.

Congratulations, Philadelphia! You’re getting ready to knock down a bunch of buildings for an expanded convention center and what do you get in return? A bunch of druggies.

Expanded Convention Center Nets First Gathering [KYW 1060]

Quickies: Cute animal edition

• Aww. Over 300 puppies were rescued from a house and barn in Chester County. They’re not up for adoption, though, even though they are oh-so-cute. [NBC 10]

• This is amazing. These people made Garfield funny. Well, not totally funny, but sort of like a tragicomedy where it’s just a lonely man talking to himself. By taking out all of Garfield’s thought bubbles, the comic is a post-nuclear absurdist piece of art. No, really. [Something Awful Forums]

• Convention Center expansion will not only take the Paul Green School of Rock, but the 24-hour adult book shop, too! Nnnnnnooooooo! [DN]

• If you build it, they will come (and piss on the seats): The Puppy Monorail. [Monorails.org]