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Digital portal to remain in Philadelphia, for now
A last-minute donor keeps the digital portal at Philadelphia City Hall open, as Mayor Cherelle Parker announces ongoing plans for its long-term future.
PHILADELPHIA - The digital portal in Philadelphia's City Hall courtyard, which was scheduled to be taken down this week, will remain in place after a last-minute donor stepped forward, according to Mayor Cherelle Parker. The announcement came during a surprise visit by the mayor, who celebrated the news with visitors at the site.
Surprise move saves digital portal at City Hall
What we know:
The Portal, a circular live stream screen has been in the city for two years, connecting people in Philadelphia with strangers around the world.
It is the only Portal of its kind in the United States. The portal first arrived at Love Park and was moved to the center courtyard at City Hall after an incident involving vandalism. Thursday afternoon people were stopping by all day to wave, dance and take selfies with people at other Portal sites including Brazil, Poland, the United Kingdom and the Philippines.
The permit allowing the Portal at City Hall was set to expire at the end of the month, and organizers had been searching for new funding and a host site.
Visitors came expecting to say goodbye, but instead learned that a donor has offered support to keep the Portal operating for now. "Hey, this is our connection to the world," said Mayor Cherelle Parker.
The permit for the City Hall site was scheduled to expire at the end of the month, and the Portal was set to be dismantled until Mayor Parker announced the new support.
Community reaction and next steps for the portal
What they're saying:
Visitors have been surprised and pleased by the portal's extended stay.
"I watched the news and they said it was going to go. So I decided to come here and see the portal," said Hope Deeden of Philadelphia. People have used the Portal to connect across continents. "It’s really amazing, amazing to see such connections with other countries, other cities," said Jarowsla Olesik, visiting from Poland. "Closeness, like it’s bringing the gap between continents together," said his son Michael Olesik, also from Poland.
Mayor Parker says the city wants to find a more permanent solution. "We have to find a long-term plan to keep this infrastructure and technology here in our city and we are working on doing that," said Parker.
What's next:
Organizers and the city are working to secure a lasting home and continued funding for the portal. For now, the portal will stay in City Hall's courtyard thanks to the donor's support.
What we don't know:
The identity of the donor and the length of the new arrangement have not been revealed, and it is not yet clear how long the Portal will remain at City Hall.
The Source: This article contains information from FOX 29's Chris O'Connell, live reports, and public statements by Mayor Cherelle Parker.