Anyone who's been to Bartram's Garden or traveled through Philadelphia to get to the airport can attest that the neighborhoods around the lower Schuylkill River are quirky places. In many cases, the land doesn't comprise neighborhoods, but rather heavy industry, transportation infrastructure, and parkland. The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) has begun to examine the Lower Schuylkill River area, and is looking for public feedback.
Kate McNamara,
PIDC's project manager for the Lower Schuylkill Master Plan, says the study area comprises "3700 acres of historically industrial land in South and Southwest Philadelphia." The eastern boundary is the intersection of I-95 and 76, while Lindbergh Blvd. forms the western edge. The area flexes as far north as the southern rim of University City.
The PIDC begins the study with the realization that this area has challenges. McNamara laments that 68 percent of the city's poorly-used and abandoned industrial land blights the Lower Schuylkill. In addition, there's the 400-pound gorilla in the closet, which is the impending sale or closure of Sunoco's Philadelphia refinery in June.
With the challenges in mind, the area around the Lower Schuylkill River wields considerable potential. McNamara alludes to two studies, PIDC's "Industrial Land and Market Strategy" and the
City Planning Commission's "Philadelphia 2035," both of which laud the area as being ripe for economic development. The project manager rattles off a list of attributes there, which include relatively enormous parcel sizes, access to transportation infrastructure, and accessibility to the Schuylkill River.
McNamara gives a few goals for the Master Plan, although specifics won't be possible until after public input and study. She wants to see the Schuylkill River Trail extended to help link Center and University Cities with
Bartram's Garden and other destinations. From a business development standpoint, McNamara wants to see the area "positioned to attract new businesses, private investment and quality jobs."
The Master Plan is currently in its infancy, with plenty of opportunity for you, the public, to comment. PIDC will be holding two open houses this week, the first of which is Wednesday evening at the
Richard Allen Preparatory School, and the second of which is Thursday evening at
St. Gabriel's Roman Catholic Church on Dickinson St. In addition, there is a 40-member advisory group, which has met twice thus far, says McNamara. PIDC is working on the Master Plan in conjunction with the architecture and urban design firm
Chan Krieger NBBJ.
Source: Kate McNamara, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation
Writer: Andy Sharpe
Photo by Michael Weaver