Anyone who has ever braved the long walk underground from City Hall to
the transit lines has entered a concrete expanse known for low lighting
and poor signage. So despite
early skepticism, when local residents and
business owners saw
Center City District's plan to redesign Dilworth Plaza--the ledges, pavers and stairwells to the north and west of City
Hall--at a
community meeting in September, 2009, trepidation turned to
excitement. Earlier this month, Rep. Chaka Fattah announced $15 million
in federal TIGER grant funding would go towards the ambitious, $50
million project.
"Currently, Dilworth Plaza is a rabbit hole of underground corridors and
this project is one that it is sitting on top of the
very centerpoint where all transit in the region comes together so we
need new entrances, alerting people where to go," says CCD executive
director Paul Levy. "At the surface level, it has been a hodgepodge of
different elevations, walls that don't allow clear lines of sight so we
will be adding a large lawn to the south with generous landscaping
around it to create a park environment."
Along with the lawn, glass-enclosed subway entrances and digital
signage, the new Dilworth Plaza will feature a large fountain that will
double as an ice rink in the winter, a cafe, and seating areas to
accommodate concerts and events. With funding in place, construction is
set to begin immediately to coincide with a $200 million SEPTA
renovation, and will be complete by 2013.
"This will be a park, it will be a great place to gather to appreciate
City Hall but also a highly identifiable gateway to the regional transit
system," says Levy. "Want to go to a baseball game? Enter here to go to
South Philly. Want to go to the universities in West Philadelphia?
Enter here. Want to get to the regional rail lines? Enter here. Really
highlighting transit."
Source: Paul Levy, Center City District
Writer: John Steele