Just to be clear, Chestnut St is considered Old City and is not a part of this, though I understand you were responding to an earlier post and I think zoning in historic areas is worth discussing in broad terms anyway. So...
Just to clear, I agree with your entire post.
You make a very good point that my concern can and should be addressed from a historic preservation/protection policy as opposed to a zoning policy.
Grr...on Zone 3 65' height limit. This does make me think it's a reaction to Scannapieco. Overbroad. This also would prevent any highrises from going up near the new Penns Landing Park, taking out the Ritz parking garage on Front Street, etc...This must fail. Oppose.
Zone 3 should just not exist. This should all be part of zone 2, as should the Zahav building.
Can we all take a second to appreciate the fact that this planned atrocity never came to be? Imagine how different our city would be today had this plan ever come to be realized. I imagine that some of our most revitalized neighborhoods, such as Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Fracisville, Brewerytown, Bella Vista, and Queen Village, would be significantly worse off than they are today. West Philly would be completely wrecked, and the stable Upper North Philly would be much less so.
As much as I think that I-95 should be in NJ and follow the route of I-295 (or the NJ Turnpike), I would rather have what we ended up with than what was proposed. It's truly horrifying to look at this conceptual plan.
^ I'll guiltily admit to wishing that the 309 got built. I used to work up in Horsham for six years and getting to Center City was a slow, roundabout process.
^ I'll guiltily admit to wishing that the 309 got built. I used to work up in Horsham for six years and getting to Center City was a slow, roundabout process.
309 wouldn't be that bad if they stopped it at route 1. I'm not sure all that it's cutting through though.
309 wouldn't be that bad if they stopped it at route 1. I'm not sure all that it's cutting through though.
IMHO and not a highway advocate
the 90 should have connected to 309
a 309 across the BLVD and to the Besty (linked with 95) would have been good, would take some pressure off 76 (though add more to 95 south from the betsy to CC.
Still 90 to 309 would be good it would also help with redevelopment of parts of N philly
a 309 across the BLVD and to the Besty (linked with 95) would have been good, would take some pressure off 76 (though add more to 95 south from the betsy to CC.
Still 90 to 309 would be good it would also help with redevelopment of parts of N philly
Parts if not the whole idea were purposed and well developed in the planning stage. Part of the 2 State agreement behind getting the BR bridge built was having a limited access highway on the PA. side from the bridge through to the Roosevelt Blvd/expressway. In one of only a handful of good choices Frank Rizzo made, that plan got the axe, too many middle class neighborhoods would have been torn up. And the truth about highways was out of the bag by then, thankfully.
Just now more then 40 years later are the temporary ramps of the western end of the BR bridge being reorganized alittle bit and made more servable.
^ I'll guiltily admit to wishing that the 309 got built. I used to work up in Horsham for six years and getting to Center City was a slow, roundabout process.
As someone who grew up in Montco... same. Maybe not that exact route (I agree with the idea to connect it to the Betsy Ross Bridge), but any extension of it into the city would have been suuuuuuper convenient.
A quick browse through the list reveals that around half the buildings listed are more uniquely beautiful or intriguing than ugly, but that could just be my opinion.
^ I actually don't think the Aramark building is ugly. But I think all of these buildings, except for the KFC one, look better. They are unique and interesting. And one was literally built to resemble a picnic basket, which is part of its charm. The Aramark tower is much more white bread.
Philadelphia's Municipal Services Building (15th & JFK) is miles uglier that the Aramark building. And then there's the Sterling, William Penn Apartments on Chestnut, 1845 Walnut, 1810 Rittenhouse Square, Rittenhouse Claridge, 10 Rittenhouse Square...and only now we're getting into Aramark territory (but, yeah, it's very dated, especially its color)...
I'm very glad none of those highways were built; I remember those plans and the uproar they caused.
One highway that was not on the map oddly was a highway that came out of Delaware County and went right near the airport and under the Delaware River; they had it on some maps and it was talked about but never started.
All of you are right; had these highways been built some of the neighborhoods that make Philadelphia distinct and unique would have been completely destroyed. Sadly, one neighborhood that was destroyed was Eastwick; everything east of Dicks Avenue and from about 80th Street to 96th Street is almost completely gone; a huge area and the streets are still there. I can't help but wonder if there built those horrible highways how much of Philadelphia could have ended up the same way.
A quick browse through the list reveals that around half the buildings listed are more uniquely beautiful or intriguing than ugly, but that could just be my opinion.
It's a bad list from a bad website. Each "winner" probably had half a dozen votes.
They are without a doubt hideous looking buildings. But they do serve a great purpose, allowing people of moderate means to afford to live in Center City. I wish they are were more attractive also, but if they were bulldozed, what would be built in their place? More luxury buildings?
Besides that, how much demand is there for more of the same product? And it's not as if this end of JFK is prime real estate either, so demolishing these buildings is no guarantee something else would be built in their place. Look at all the available land along the west end of Market. Now that East Market is gaining momentum finally, the far west end of JFK and Market is Center City's last frontier.
Now, if I was playing Sim City, north and south Broad Street would be lined with these types of co-ops and the office district would end west along Market and JFK until the river.
They are without a doubt hideous looking buildings. But they do serve a great purpose, allowing people of moderate means to afford to live in Center City. I wish they are were more attractive also, but if they were bulldozed, what would be built in their place? More luxury buildings?
Besides that, how much demand is there for more of the same product? And it's not as if this end of JFK is prime real estate either, so demolishing these buildings is no guarantee something else would be built in their place. Look at all the available land along the west end of Market. Now that East Market is gaining momentum finally, the far west end of JFK and Market is Center City's last frontier.
Now, if I was playing Sim City, north and south Broad Street would be lined with these types of co-ops and the office district would end west along Market and JFK until the river.
I was being hyperbolic. I don't actually want them gone as much as I would want them cleaned/spruced up a bit.
As far as those squat wide buildings go, the Sterling is not bad. And in fact, it recently underwent a renovation. Of course, the Sterling, unlike some of the others, is market rate apartments as opposed to co-ops.
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