Quote:
Originally Posted by summersm343
|
I actually think my favorite part about this plan is the greenspace. It's actually really well organized: Drexel Park has a strong connection to the river (something which I pointed out would be a good organizational feature in the previous round of meetings), the park down by the Innovation Neighborhood is an excellent use of what is guaranteed to be the hardest-to-develop portion of the site (the hillock caused by the station approaches), and the riverfront greenspace offers an iconic viewshed.
Another other good thing about this proposal is the street network. Look closely at the north-south streets: One runs along the edge between the SEPTA tracks and the maintenance facilities; the other, alongside the High Line. The other north-south streets to the east match the pattern established by these axes. Meanwhile, the east-west streets are an extension of the streets that meet 32nd. You can see Cherry, Summer, Winter, and Hamilton streets in the site, all clearly aligned to their sections to the west.
I'm also pleased by all the proposed pedestrian bridges across the Schuylkill. There would be ones at Arch and Race streets, and another directly linking Drexel and Paine's parks. The benefit to pedestrian traffic of all these crossings (more than I would have dared hope) can't be understated. Hopefully they'll be well-designed, too, with one iconic span and two timeless ones.
Concerns:
- Landing the ped crossing in Paine's Park without excessively disturbing it.
- That long building cutting off the 3000 block of Race. What's it for? Would it have an internal easement for Race Street pedestrian traffic? Does it create a superblock (which would go against what is otherwise the manifest spirit of the plan)?
The elephant in the room is leaving the SEPTA tracks open. In part, this is to be expected: the middle section is over open ground, while a large chunk of the Amtrak yard would be covered for municipal uses. Even if development were shown over the Powelton yards, it would have been the final phase, simply due to the expense of it relative to the sites immediately to the east.
I find myself wondering...
I think this is a good plan, but at the same time I would like to see some sort of statement to the effect that the open sections over Powelton Yards are to be considered future development options, once land values to do so exceed construction costs. I'd also like to see street easements for Cherry, Summer, Winter, and Hamilton secured through the air rights. Doing these things now, I suspect, will prevent future headaches some 50-75 years down the line when the parcels above the SEPTA yards proper actually get eyed for development.
Prev
Linear Mode
