West Philadelphia Corridor Collaborative (WPCC) President Jabari Jones minced no words when describing the current state of businesses along the neighborhood’s commercial corridors still trying to navigate a pandemic and civil unrest.

“Some of the [most] tangible things you would see if you walked down any of our corridors is that more businesses are closed,” he said. “At any time of the day many businesses have gates down, lights off and are inactive. Many businesses are not allowed to reopen and have suffered seven to eight months without receiving any revenue.”

In the days following the killing of George Floyd by police, many West Philly businesses were damaged during protests that saw some storefronts vandalized and police using tear gas on residents. WPCC — a membership organization representing about 10 commercial corridors, such as those on Baltimore Avenue, Lancaster Avenue and 52nd Street — has spent much of the last four months helping those businesses rebuild.

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