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Wed
Sep 5
2012

Spruce Street Plaza Will Make HUP A Nicer Place to Work and Visit

Those entering University City via the South Street Bridge will soon have a half-acre green space to enjoy instead of a parking lot.

Construction is now underway on the $2.5M Spruce Street Plaza between 33rd and 34th Streets along Spruce in front of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. When it’s completed this winter, according to a Penn spokesperson, the plaza will feature benches, lighting, seasonal landscaping, decorative paving, a lawn area and lighting. Plans for the former asphalt Lot #8, owned by Penn, were created by a collaboration between Matthews Nielsen Landscape Architects and Urban Engineers. The project is cofunded by Penn Facilities and Real Estate Services and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Under construction

“Transformation of this prominent gateway to the campus and West Philadelphia beyond has long been a dream of University trustees and administrators,” said University Architect David Hollenberg. “It’s a thrill that it’s finally happening, and on the heels of other recent open space accomplishments like the refurbishing of Locust Walk, and the creation of Penn Park and Shoemaker Green.”

In the past

In the future

Love the creepy rendering people

The project also aims to establish the parking spaces in Lot #6, located at the southwest corner of Franklin Field, as a new location for food vendors, who have already moved from lot eight.

The blocks around 32nd and 33rd Streets in University City are definitely undergoing a transformation before our eyes. There’s the new Drexel School of Business coming to 32nd and Market and the 19-story residential tower Drexel’s building and branded as its gateway to University City at 32nd and Chestnut. Plus, rumors continue to percolate that Cira Centre South is coming soon.

It’s nice to see a parking lot transformed into a true public space in this location. Though Penn has tons of green space nearby, this area seems destined to be used principally by HUP staff, patients and visitors who may not wish to stray too far from home. Can’t wait to see the finished product.

–Lou Mancinelli

9
COMMENTS
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Posted in University City | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments
  • Liam

    Part of this plan is also to prevent pedestrians from crossing midblock between the museum and HUP. The only pedestrian crossings will be along Spruce, and the lower half of the park will be inaccessible with a fence running down the middle of 33rd/34th.

    Green space will be pretty, and safety is always a concern, but this will also encourage the 33rd/34th/Civic Center corridor to be even more auto-oriented.

  • Guest

    They’re adding a legal crossing in the process. I don’t think this is reinforcing anything auto-centric about the area it’s just channeling pedestrians in an area with a busy road.

  • Me

    Does anyone know why Penn decided to cut down all the existing trees? It was a shame to see them come down!

  • http://cmtrealestate.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/is-philadelphia-seeing-green/ Is Philadelphia Seeing Green? « We Buy Houses Philadelphia

    [...] planned to be completed this winter. To read more about this story and see pictures of the plans, click the link. Share this:EmailPrintDiggTwitterFacebookStumbleUponRedditLinkedInTumblrPinterestLike this:LikeBe [...]

  • http://ericpittmann.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/is-philadelphia-seeing-green/ Is Philadelphia Seeing Green? « Eric Pittmann

    [...] planned to be completed this winter. To read more about this story and see pictures of the plans, click the link. Share this:FacebookLinkedInRedditTwitterStumbleUponDiggTumblrEmailMorePinterestLike this:LikeBe [...]

  • KL

    I think this is a great use of this space and will potentially cut down on the number of people running across the street and dodging cars merely to get to the food trucks! Looking forward to seeing it in completion.
    mommycall.wordpress.com

  • http://nakedphilly.com/university-city/shoemaker-green-brings-more-green-to-the-eastern-end-of-penns-campus/ Shoemaker Green Brings More Green to the Eastern End of Penn’s Campus | NakedPhilly

    [...] City keeps getting greener and greener. Just a couple of weeks after we reported on the groundbreaking of Spruce Street Plaza, the University of Pennsylvania dedicated Shoemaker Green, an $8.5 million makeover of a plot on [...]

  • http://nakedphilly.com/university-city/singh-center-rising-on-the-eastern-end-of-penns-campus/ Singh Center Rising on the Eastern End of Penn’s Campus | NakedPhilly

    [...] various projects around 32nd and 33rd Sts., including a new Drexel business school on Market, and plans for a new gateway to University City at Chestnut, and the nearby new Spruce Street [...]

  • http://nakedphilly.com/university-city/spruce-street-plaza-opens-creating-an-attractive-gateway-to-hup-and-penn/ Spruce Street Plaza Opens, Creating an Attractive Gateway to HUP and Penn | NakedPhilly

    [...] in September, we told you about plans to convert Lot #8, an unattractive parking lot at HUP’s front door, into a landscaped public g…. Earlier this month, the fences came down, and the Spruce Street Plaza opened its [...]

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