The Man Who Helped Turn East Passyunk Into Restaurant Row Announces His Resignation

Today, Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation (PARC) announced the resignation of Executive Director Sam Sherman after five years leading the community development and service organization. "Sam has played a vital role in taking an organization that was on the verge of dissolution and transforming it into a major component of the continued revival of East Passyunk Avenue and the neighborhoods that surround it," said Paul R. Levy, Chairman of the PARC board.

During his time, Sherman was a key player in pulling in some of the major restaurant talent on the Avenue, chief among them highly-accoladed Noord, Brigantessa, Palladino's, and Will BYOB. Sherman explained his development model in a recent interview with Phila-State: the acquisition and renovation costs for many PARC-owned buildings were a better fit for restaurant tenants, since they tend to make more of an impact on the bottom line. This allowed PARC to subsidize retail rents — which eventually helped create that "stroll-able" ecosphere we all know East Passyunk to be.

He'll stay with PARC until the end of June 2016 to smooth the transition into a new director, a position the organization will begin their search for starting this December. For more on Sherman's urban development efforts and experiences, check out the aforementioned podcast interview with Phila-State.