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Today In The Reading Viaduct: We’ll See You In 2014?

viaduct

It’s no secret around here that we are 100% behind the Reading Viaduct project. And now, as the City Planning Commission releases its Strategic Plan for Callowhill-Chinatown North, we can’t help but get all excited again. According to a press release, “The plan reaffirms the City’s intention to construct a park on the viaduct structure. It also calls for rezoning 70 acres of land to permit a mix of residential and light industrial uses, a combination that the City’s recently adopted zoning code allows.” Additionally, the plan includes increased parking, a doubled bike network, and addition park spaces to be added before the transformation of the viaduct. The plan says of the viaduct,

This is a complex project that will not happen overnight. The City continues to work with Central Philadelphia Development Corporation, Viaduct Greene, the Reading Viaduct Project, local neighborhood groups, philanthropic organizations, and other partners to develop a phased plan of action based on funding, partnerships, property control, and community needs. The first phase of the project will be construction of recreation space on the SEPTA Spur of the Viaduct, with designs expected to be complete in 2013 and construction to occur in 2014.”

It’s all happening! But the viaduct is really only one part of the plan, and to read more (about 200 pages more), check out some of the PDFs over here, and you can hear the whole plan for the Central District at an open house in the Mayor’s Reception Room on February 27 at 5PM.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 25th, 2013 at 2:27 pm.

  • Lovetron

    Its not “all happening.” Just the 15 millionth confirmation that the region wants to do it. I’m down with it happening but let’s not pretend that the agencies/organizations in this conversation have a strong track record of getting projects like this planned, design and constructed. Remember, it took the High Line over a decade to raise funds. And that was in deep-pocketed Manhattan.

  • http://www.facebook.com/john.hogan.984 John Hogan

    and Chinatown will fight it. Because Chinatown fights everything new.

  • OG

    Much better use would be to run light rail or subway on this infrastructure. The park can be built anywhere, it’s actually more approachable and practical (safety, maintenance) to place it at ground level.

  • http://twitter.com/chuckt808 Chuck

    Yes, everything should be at ground level for maximum safeness.

  • http://twitter.com/chuckt808 Chuck

    Aww but they drew all those Asian kids into the Reading Viaduct rendering.

  • http://twitter.com/evangoldin Evan Goldin

    They used to do that — and then we built the whole Center City Connector, remember? SEPTA trains now bypass the viaduct and head underground instead. Why would we need to add trains back to it, duplicating existing routes that go even farther?