Penn begins construction of parking lot

In an effort to alleviate the University's persistent parking crunch and increase the amount of green space on Penn's campus, construction crews broke ground last week on a small triangle-shaped piece of land at 38th Street and Baltimore Avenue where University officials plan to construct a landscaped 34-car parking lot. The University recently acquired the property, which was formerly occupied by a Getty gas station but has been nothing more than a vacant dirt lot for years. The University has been eying the small piece of land for years, according to Landscape Project Planner Bob Lundgren. While not very large or conveniently located -- and, by extension, not particularly suited to retail development -- the empty dirt lot is the first sight many University visitors encounter upon entering the Penn community via University Avenue. And that first impression is often not very pleasant, Lundgren said. "Having acquired the property, we, along with other interests, wanted to really make it a nicer space for the entrance to the University community," Lundgren said. "We've gotten many complaints over the years about how ugly it is." Those other interests include providing some extra parking for the School of Veterinary Medicine, located nearby at 38th and Spruce streets. Taking both concerns into account, University officials decided that a landscaped parking lot would best meet both needs, and Penn's recent acquisition of the land has made that goal possible. The actual construction of the lot is being managed by Tony DePaul & Son, a local contractor. Lundgren said the project will cost about $175,000 and should be complete by late August. Then, in September, the new lot will be landscaped to include about 40 trees as well as flowering shrubbery and perennial flowers, Lundgren said. When completed, the property will be about half parking space, half green space, Lundgren said. "It's a win-win situation for everybody," said Penn Director of Neighborhood Initiatives Esaul Sanchez. "I think that is exciting, the fact that we as an institution are working toward and finding solutions that are not necessarily what one side sees as a solution, but a really good compromise." Sanchez, who is also the head of UCGreen -- a Penn initiative aimed at beautifying University City by planting trees, shrubbery and flowers in the area around Penn's campus -- said the University actively encouraged input from the surrounding community about the use of the space. "There was a lot of consultation in the community," Sanchez said. "Everybody was involved." Sanchez said that while UCGreen was not directly involved in the planning of the project, the group did help with the idea behind the parking lot, especially where the green space is concerned. "Because of the location and because of the beauty, it's going to be a very pleasant way of coming into the neighborhood," Sanchez said. The lot will be operated on a permit-basis by Penn's Parking and Transportation department. Lundgren said that the property may only serve as a parking lot temporarily, until the University completes construction on other campus parking garages, including the 800-car garage set for 40th and Walnut streets and the approximately 1,000-car parking garage complex to be constructed on the former Civic Center site. At that point, the property may be totally converted to green space or even destroyed completely, Lundgren said.

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