Philly News Briefs: 5/26/16
1.) Sad trombone sound – Philadelphia won’t be hosting a Super Bowl any time in the near future (my home area, Tampa Bay, got similar news this week). The NFL announced the host cities for the next five Super Bowls – through 2021 – and Philadelphia didn’t get a bid, despite the fact that all signs looked hopeful that maybe this would be their chance. The upcoming Super Bowls, with host cities, are: Super Bowl LI – 2017 – NRG Stadium, Houston, Super Bowl LII – 2018 – U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Super Bowl LIII – 2019 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Super Bowl LIV – 2020 – New Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, and Super Bowl LV – 2021 – Rams’ new stadium, Inglewood, California.
The King of Prussia Mall will welcome new tenants when it opens its massive expansion this summer.
2.) A neighborhood fixture in North Philly will reopen this week after a catastrophic fire that closed the business for fourteen months. Denise’s Bakery, located at 22nd and Indiana, has been called “the sweetest spot in the city.” Denise Gause, who opened the bakery 24 years ago, has invested time and patience into her business, which has a faithful following. Tragedy struck in March 2015 when a fire (the cause is still unknown) tore through the bakery, shattering windows and destroying everything inside. Gause said that she received “hundreds and hundreds” of Facebook posts, e-mails, and phone calls of support, and that gave her and her staff the courage to rebuild. Having great insurance meant that Gause could pay her staff while the bakery was being rebuilt, and now it will reopen with 23 members of the original staff.
3.) August will see the grand opening of a new 155,000 square foot expansion to the King of Prussia mall, and rumors are starting to swirl concerning who will fill it. Stuart Weitzman, CH Carolina Herrera, Clarins, Diane von Furstenberg, Jimmy Choo and Vince have previously signed leases for space in the mall; now it has been announced that Superdry, MCM and Altar’d State are three new tenants as well.
