A Million Stories: The Next Name to Arrive on Platform 3
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Hot on the tail of a controversial proposal to rename 30th Street Station after late Congressman William Gray, reports surfaced this week that another iconic Philly train station may be in for renaming.
Sources at SEPTA and an affiliated public agency acknowledged that transit officials have been talking about selling the naming rights for Suburban Station to telecommunications giant Verizon for an undisclosed sum of money.
If true, this would not be the first time SEPTA had sought corporate sponsorship from a telecom agency for one of its stations. A five-year, $5 million deal to change the name of the Pattison Avenue subway station to “AT&T Station” was inked by SEPTA and its advertising agency, Titan, in 2010.
A SEPTA official responded cryptically Monday to an inquiry about the possible Suburban Station name change.
“I can’t confirm or deny that,” said SEPTA spokesperson Jerri Williams. However, Williams went on to say that SEPTA was planning to make a major announcement next month that involved the naming rights of one of its stations.
Verizon Wireless regional spokesman Sheldon Jones on Tuesday said, “When we’re ready to announce something, we will.”
