The move of the Barnes Foundation's art gallery into Philadelphia is creeping closer to reality. Unfortunately, that's not the case with finding a permanent home for the city's soon-to-be displaced Youth Study Center.
It's the city's shame that politics as usual stalled construction of a permanent facility for troubled juveniles, some of whom have broken the law. The Barnes gallery will rise on the prized real estate on Pennsylvania Avenue near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The detention facility will be demolished and a temporary center opened.
People have talked for years about the center's shabby, tight space. It should have been replaced long ago.
Earlier in this saga, there might have been time to build a permanent replacement. The city had bought a site at 46th and Market Streets in West Philadelphia that is easily accessible by public transportation.
The site could be ideal - if this weren't Philadelphia. But it is.
So, City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, whose district includes the site, has stalled the process. She's used councilmanic privilege to block needed zoning changes. Her games hurt the whole city.
This is Philadelphia. So, Mayor Street has been ham-handed in his dealings with Blackwell. And other Council members have just looked away. Some want to preserve this destructive councilmanic privilege tradition for their own use.
With the Barnes plans moving forward, it's too late to move the Youth Study Center directly to a permanent site. Its temporary home will be the old, state-owned Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute in East Falls.
Residents near there aren't too happy. But kids being held at the Youth Study Center don't routinely escape and cause havoc. Besides, the price of living in a big city is accommodating its public institutions.
The price of being city leaders is to win as much community support as possible, but then move ahead with needed projects even if some opposition remains.
The Youth Study Center needs a new home - not just temporarily, but long term. The delay in doing that needs to end.