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{{Short description|Former mayor of Philadelphia}}
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{{Infobox officeholder
| image = John F Street.jpg
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==Biography and early career==
Street was born in [[Norristown, Pennsylvania]], and grew up as a member of a farming household. He graduated from Conshohocken High School, received a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] degree in [[English language|English]] from [[Oakwood University|Oakwood College]] in [[Huntsville, Alabama]], and his [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] degree from [[Temple University Beasley School of Law|Temple University]], which he had to apply to several times before he was accepted. Following his graduation from law school, Street served clerkships with Common Pleas Court Judge Mathew W. Bullock, Jr. and with the [[United States Department of Justice]] from which he was quickly terminated for poor performance. In his first professional job Street taught English at an elementary school and, later, at the Philadelphia [[Opportunities Industrialization Center|Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC)]]. He then practiced law briefly prior to entering into public service. Street is married and has four children, including [[Sharif Street]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Colaneri|first1=Katie|title=Sharif Street launches Pa. Senate bid|url=http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/politics/90044-sharif-street-launches-pa-senate-bid|accessdate=9 December 2016|agency=WHYY Newsworks|date=15 January 2016|archive-date=December 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220080210/http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/politics/90044-sharif-street-launches-pa-senate-bid|url-status=live}}</ref> and is a practicing [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]]. His deceased brother, [[T. Milton Street|Milton]], was a former member of the [[Pennsylvania General Assembly|state legislature]], and a two-time [[Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|mayoral candidate]].
Inspired by his brother's successful election in 1978, Street made his initial foray into elected politics in 1979, when he challenged incumbent Fifth District Councilman [[Cecil B. Moore]]. Moore was a popular and respected civil rights leader in the city who was active within the [[NAACP]], and Street's decision to challenge him drew the ire of some. Moore, who was in failing health, initially sought to see-off the challenge from Street but died before the May primary. Street won the election, and quelled some of the tensions over his original challenge to Moore by sponsoring a bill to rename the former [[Cecil B. Moore Avenue|Columbia Avenue]] in Moore's honor.<ref name=Moore>{{cite web|last=Goss |first=Scott |title=City |url=http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/city-38370534.html?page=2&comments=1&showAll= |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131044413/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/city-38370534.html?page=2&comments=1&showAll= |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 31, 2013 |work=News and Opinion |publisher=Philadelphia Weekly |access-date=February 14, 2012 }}</ref>
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====2003====
Street was once again challenged by Sam Katz in the [[2003 Philadelphia mayoral election|2003 mayoral election]]. Despite an ongoing FBI investigation, Street was aided by Pennsylvania Governor and former Mayor of Philadelphia, [[Ed Rendell]] endorsing and campaigning for him.<ref name=pareport2003>{{cite web|title=The PA Report "Power 75" List |work=
The race was covered in the documentary film ''[[The Shame of a City]]''.
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During Street's first term, much emphasis was placed on the "Neighborhood Transformation Initiative." The Neighborhood Transformation Initiative (NTI), which was unveiled in April 2001 was an unprecedented effort to counter the history of decline in the City of Philadelphia and revitalize its neighborhoods. The program was designed to revitalize and restore communities, to develop or restore quality housing, to clean and secure streets, and to create opportunities for vibrant cultural and recreational facilities.
Initially, opponents raised objections to the program's emphasis on demolishing abandoned buildings rather than seeking re-use or restoration of the sometimes historic properties.{{Citation needed|date=July 2007}} Others hailed the program for bringing much-needed investment to the city's many poor neighborhoods.{{Citation needed|date=July 2007}} However, initial results have been positive. Since 2000, the average home in Philadelphia has appreciated{{when|date=August 2019}} by approximately 30 percent. The housing market continues to thrive, and developers have created more than 4,880 market-rate apartments and condominiums in the past several years.{{when|date=August 2019}}<ref>
Street also made children and their welfare a focus of his first term in office. In his first inaugural address in January 2000, Street officially proclaimed the year 2000 "The Year of the Child" in Philadelphia. He sought to increase funding for after-school programs, and formed the Philadelphia Children's Commission, a diverse group of government, civic, business, and faith-based leadership, whose job it was to advise Street on policies and programs that would have a positive impact in the lives of Philadelphia's children. He also sought to fight truancy among school aged children.<ref>[http://www.phila.gov/mayor/yotc.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914170004/http://www.phila.gov/mayor/yotc.html|date=September 14, 2007}}</ref><ref>[http://www.phila.gov/mayor/afterschool.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061008030119/http://www.phila.gov/mayor/afterschool.html|date=October 8, 2006}}</ref>
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===City Hall corruption scandal===
During the re-election campaign against [[Sam Katz (Philadelphia)|Sam Katz]], the [[FBI]] acknowledged that it had placed listening devices in the Mayor's office as part of a sweeping investigation of municipal corruption.<ref>{{cite news | title = U.S. Bug in Mayor's Office Roils Philadelphia Race | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/09/us/us-bug-in-mayor-s-office-roils-philadelphia-race.html | date = October 9, 2003}}</ref> The FBI's investigation uncovered a corruption scheme led by Street's friend and fund raiser [[Ron White (Philadelphia)|Ron White]], who died before going to trial.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/white-kemp-and-10-others-charged-in-philadelphia-corruption-case | title = White, Kemp, and 10 Others Charged in Philadelphia Corruption Case | publisher = [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] | date = June 29, 2004}}</ref> Former city treasurer Corey Kemp, a member of Street's administration, was sentenced to 10 years in jail after being found guilty on 27 corruption-related charges in May 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/special/fbi_probes/ |title=FBI Probes - Philadelphia Inquirer |website=www.philly.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080614032548/http://www.philly.com/inquirer/special/fbi_probes |archive-date=2008-06-14}}
In September 2005, a prominent Muslim clergyman, Shamsud-din Ali, in Philadelphia was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on racketeering and other charges. Prosecutors said the cleric, who was once a member of Mayor John F. Street's transition team, used his political connections to obtain dubious loans, donations and city contracts. Ali was sentenced to 87 months in prison.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,169801,00.html |title=Cleric Sentenced in Philly Corruption Probe |website=[[Fox News]] |access-date=2008-08-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080107095711/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,169801,00.html |archive-date=2008-01-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref> His conviction was affirmed on July 18, 2007, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (493 F.3d 387).
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[[Category:2000 United States presidential electors]]
[[Category:African-American mayors in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:20th-century mayors of places in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:21st-century mayors of places in Pennsylvania]]
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