Quote:
Originally Posted by City Wide
I think that what you and the prior post, #117, are saying is probably true. But that begs the question of why would Amtrak and others go through the exercise of a master plan when very little if anything is actually planned? Its not like the plan came up with any radical ideas, like moving the exits ramps from I-76 or putting the suburban train lines under ground (both should have been considered), that would need long term planning to see them through.
And like you mentioned the Cira 2 site that is suggested would be built over existing tracks making its construction highly expensive and very doubtful, as long as there is other less complicated sites in the area to build on.
As much as I enjoy the prospect of what the master plan presents and the drawings/dreams that were released, in a nut shell it basically is saying the obvious---when market conditions call for it, the first buildings will be built on land not presently used for tracks, and then after that land is used up somebody could build over the tracks. What might actually get built is so far out in the future just about anything could have been proposed.
If another plan came out of the blue---the 76'ers wanting to build their own, basketball only dream arena over the tracks, or Google wanting to build an east coast campus----I'm quite sure Amtrak would be thrilled to sell them or anybody else, the air rights.
My prediction is that sometime in the next 5+ years SEPTA will work with others on rebuilding the underground connection to the station and that as construction starts up along JFK Blvd. that maybe there will be a push to move the buses to a built space somewhere around the station. Other then that I believe that this plan will just join the other past plans collecting dust. Whatever the market needs are, the plans Drexel has in its Schuylkill Yards concept will be able to handle them for a very long time. And its not like center city is full!
|
Yeah the cynic in me agrees. These "master plans" - of which the city has commissioned dozens (my favorite being the once every 5 years "Penns Landing Master Plan") - just seem to be an easy way to spend grant money. And SOM, or whatever architectural firm commissioned - is only happy to accept the enrichment. The money (hundreds of thousands - millions of dollars) probably helps subsidize some of their actual high profile projects that may be less profitable and more or less goes to young 3D artists/designers who spit out these beautiful, polished compositions that make skyscraper/development geeks like us salivate.
The extent of these master plans seems to me, and particularly this one: let's build some decks over the tracks, and then build some cool looking skyscrapers on said decks. I'll see you guys in 10 years.
Threaded Mode