Philadelphia's Master Builder

"WITH THE OPENING of the Sid, it's time to thank the man who built what our grandchildren will remember in their old age as turn-of-the-century Philadelphia. The upcoming governor's race will debate whether a mayor was the coach or the cheerleader behind Center City's recent landmarks. But there can be little doubt that Willard Rouse was the quarterback who actually put the ball over the goal line in every case. Three projects have risen to landmark status since 1980: Liberty Place, the Convention Center and the Kimmel Center. Each of these projects was a unique challenge -- and I was doubtful about each at the outset. But that is what developers do: build right past the doubts to change what is real. They put facts on the ground, literally."