The rail yards beneath 30th Street Station could transform into a new part of Philadelphia in 40 to 50 years.
In October, a partnership between Amtrak, Drexel University and Brandywine Realty Trust issued a request for proposals from consultants on how to redesign the 30th Street rail yards and stations. Consultants could submit proposals until Nov. 18. Ultimately, the partners will select consultants. They will also perform a two-year study on how best to develop 30th Street Station and the surrounding rail yards.
This isn’t the first time that the rail yards were examined for development. In 2011, Executive Director of Penn Praxis Harris Steinberg led a group of students in developing a plan for the 30th Street Station area. The students recommended that developers place the regional rail underground by creating an overpass that would allow for new buildings to be constructed on top of the rail yard.
Steinberg envisions the future of the local transit hub as a “bright, new, beautiful station,” with all of the various transit lines connected in one space. Particularly, he imagines placing the regional rail lines and the Market Frankfurt Line underground, with the transit entrance in a European-style public square.
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“By combining all of the transit in one place you could get much more synergy and energy from those connections,” Steinberg said.
Renovations won’t come quickly, however. Steinberg estimated that the project would take around 40 to 50 years to develop. This is still an important project for Amtrak, as they anticipate a 59 percent uptick in rail ridership and a 41 percent increase in train volumes by 2030 in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia station is currently the third busiest station in the country.
Brandywine is also familiar with development in the 30th Street Station area. They are the developers behind the FMC Tower at Cira Centre South, a skyscraper opening in 2016 that will be the sixth tallest building in Philadelphia.
Penn will also sit on a Coordinating Committee of stakeholders to give ideas and help guide the planning. Other committee members include Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, University City District and SEPTA.
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Drexel’s involvement with the project coincides with a period of expansion on their campus. The university’s master plan through 2017 provides a series of expansions, redevelopments and new buildings under their president John A. Fry, who was Penn’s executive vice president and chief operating officer from 1995 until 2002.
“You have to have the leadership that makes it important,” Steinberg said. “It bodes well with [Fry’s] involvement.”
If Philadelphia were to build over the railroads, the city would join the likes of New York and Chicago. New York City is currently decking over the Long Island Rail Roads, and Chicago built their Millennium Park over railroads.
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“The rail yards are a key development strategy for the city,” Steinberg said. “Cities that want to ensure their survival for the long term think about making these investments.”
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