Construction threatens parking

Construction impacts the daily life of any neighborhood, including the area surrounding the site for the pre-K-8 Penn-assisted school on 42nd and Spruce streets. With groundbreaking slated for March 1, the Spruce Hill Community Association hosted a meeting yesterday to discuss expectations for the construction of the school, which is scheduled for a partial opening this fall. "[The project] represents an attempt to balance all interests and all concerns," Spruce Hill Community Association President Barry Grossbach said. "We are dealing with a school that is right in the middle of a densely-populated residential community." Construction preparations are currently underway, while an underground oil tank will be removed from the site tomorrow. Next week, trees will be removed in preparation for construction. Audience members were mostly concerned about the implications that the construction would have on parking. "They have addressed concerns about parking, but there is no concrete solution," Arts League President Beth Wicas said. Wicas said that the enrollment for classes at The Arts League, which is across the street from the site, will suffer due to the lack of parking. Because the public school will occupy a parking lot previously used by The Arts League, the league adjusted its budget this year. Wicas believes this will have potential granters questioning the budget drop. "If they can't park somewhere, they won't sign up for classes, no matter how inexpensive the classes are," Wicas said. Grossbach acknowledged the parking problem, but said that it did not originate with this project. "We have a severe parking problem in this community," he said. "We know that and we have been working with the Parking Authority about it." "Once there is a principal on board, there will be a time to talk about those spaces and how they will be used," Graduate School of Education Associate Dean Nancy Streim said of the 14 spaces currently on the site. Nationwide advertisements have drawn nearly 60 applications for the principal's position. Once aboard, the new principal will hire a staff. Construction for the new building is projected to finish in early July 2002. Renovations of current buildings will continue through the spring of the following year. Penn has pledged $700,000 -- $1,000 per student -- to the school over the next 10 years. Penn is also responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the eastern third of the site and most of the open space on and around the site. The Penn-assisted school has displaced two other locations on the block -- the Parent Children's Center and the University City New School. The Penn-assisted school will occupy the University City New School's old site for one year, after which it will move to the location currently being constructed. The Parent Infant Center will stay at its present location and then move to the old UCNS space after one year. At this time, the Penn-assisted school will occupy the present PIC site.