The vacant lot once occupied by a PNC Bank kiosk on the 3900 block of Walnut Street was supposed to have become greener more than a year ago.
Originally set to be transformed into a garden in September of last year, the site has been left untouched, as plans for the redevelopment of the block have proceeded at a much quicker pace than Penn expected, Facilities and Real Estate Services spokesman Tony Sorrentino said.
"It didn't make financial sense to invest in something [temporary] that will be redeveloped," Sorrentino said.
He added that with no other banks expressing interest in the kiosk space -- which was vacated around February 2004 when PNC chose not to renew its lease -- Penn decided to install a temporary urban park as a short-term solution to maintain the vibrancy and vitality of the block. The plan was set to be completed a few weeks after the proposal.
Redevelopment of the block was one of the long-term directions proposed in the Campus Development Plan in 2001. But as 2004 ended, the University found that market forces and demand indicated that project should start as early as next year.
Penn anticipates a general demolition of the block over the next year. However, Sorrentino said that Penn will push for the idea of green space in its redevelopment of the block.
"We believe that green spaces have a positive social and economic impact" on the neighborhood, Sorrentino said. The space allows for "a pleasant urban experience" and may draw more people to the commercial block, since the street will be aesthetically pleasing.
This belief is consistent with Penn's past attempts to landscape parts of a block into more pedestrian-friendly green spaces.
For instance, Sorrentino said, the grassy space at 36th and Sansom streets was a parking lot for the Franklin Building until 2002.
The value of green space is recognized by students such as College junior Andrew Fink who find that it is a good place to "study or throw Frisbees around, [the latter of which] is essential to the college experience."
Fink believes that a green space would attract students simply because it is pleasing visually, but he also recognizes the conflict between preserving green spaces and the development of buildings for an urban campus.
"It is a balancing act," he said.
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