Please join BOMA Philadelphia as we welcome special guest, Prema Gupta, President and CEO, Center City District (CCD). Hear from Prema on the current state of Center City and CCD’s extended vision for Philadelphia.
About Prema Gupta:
Prema Katari Gupta is President and CEO of the Center City District (CCD) and Executive Director of the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation (CPDC), overseeing all aspects of CCD's planning, strategy, operations and economic development efforts. She has wide-ranging experience as a strategic leader in economic development, public-private real estate development and place-making.
Gupta’s tenure at CCD began in February 2020 as Vice President for Parks and Public Realm. In that role, she led oversight and supervised staff and management of physical assets, operations and infrastructure of the four parks currently owned by or leased to CCD: Dilworth Park adjacent to City Hall, which hosted 9.6 million visitors in 2023; Sister Cities Park, a multigenerational park with a focus on engaging families with young children; Cret Park on the 1600 block of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway; and John F. Collins Park on the 1700 block of Chestnut Street. More at centercityphila.org/parks.
In February 2022, Gupta was appointed Executive Director of the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation (CPDC), succeeding CCD President and CEO Paul R. Levy. In that role, her responsibilities include business recruitment and retention, communications, meeting content and logistics. She also oversees CCD/CPDC planning and research projects, including the annual State of Center City report.
Immediately prior to joining CCD, Gupta served as Senior Vice President of Planning and Real Estate Development for the Philadelphia Navy Yard at PIDC (2015-2020). In that role, she led a team managing all aspects of strategic partnerships, planning, leasing, real estate development, marketing, communications, capital projects, site stewardship, public transportation, and property management at the Navy Yard on behalf of PIDC.
From 2010 to 2015, was the Director of Planning and Economic Development at University City District, where she was responsible for the development, execution and stewardship of several prominent civic real estate projects, including The Porch at 30th Street Station as well as other innovative public space improvements throughout University City, such as Philadelphia’s first parklets.
From 2007 to 2010, she worked for PIDC in the Real Estate Services group, where she managed a variety of real estate transactions and planning efforts in PIDC’s Center City real estate office. Additionally, she has worked at Yale University and as scholar-in-residence at the Urban Land Institute, where she wrote a book about place-making and mixed-use development entitled Creating Great Town Centers and Urban Villages, published in 2008.
Gupta is a member of the Urban Land Institute national council on public-private partnerships, she serves on the board of the Fairmount Park Conservancy and is a trustee of The Philadelphia Award. In 2023, she was named one of the most influential Philadelphians by Philadelphia Magazine, and in 2019 she was recognized by Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Philadelphia as one of 20 Women Changing the Philadelphia Landscape.
Originally from Connecticut, Gupta lives in West Mount Airy with her husband and two school-age children. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College, a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design and a certificate in real estate development from the Wharton School.
We will be accepting food donations for the St. Christopher’s Hospital Food Pantry. CLICK HERE for a list of acceptable items.
