By Mike Dunn

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia City Council will not try to override Mayor Nutter’s veto of a plan to put a large electronic “wall-wrap” billboard on the side of a little-used building at 7th and Callowhill Streets, near the Vine Street extension of the Schuylkill Expressway (see previous story).

Councilman Mark Squilla, of the 1st District, decided not to call for a veto override.  He said he lacked clarification on whether a wall wrap on the old Electric Factory building would, as opponents claimed, jeopardize federal highway funding (see related story).

So the proposal is dead, and Squilla says that’s a shame because one-fifth of the advertising revenue from the huge electronic sign was supposed to go to local schools.

“I think it’s really important to try to get some extra funding (for schools) without going through the avenue that everybody does, of (increasing) tax revenue,” he said today (see related story).

In addition to the funding question, opponents of the proposal sign said an Electric Factory wall wrap would pose a dangerous distraction to drivers on the nearby Benjamin Franklin Bridge.