Philadelphia William H. Gray 30th Street Station development plan

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afigg

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Amtrak posted this news release several days ago. With MA starting on the South Station expansion project, we should see real changes and improvements to the major city stations on the NEC over the next 5 to 10 years at BOS, NYP, PHL, BAL, and WAS.

Team Selected To Develop Joint Master Plan For Philadelphia 30TH Street Station Precinct

PHILADELPHIA – Amtrak, Drexel University and Brandywine Realty Trust have selected Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), in association with Parsons Brinckerhoff, OLIN, and HR&A Advisors to develop a comprehensive joint master plan for the area around Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. The New York-based firm will start work immediately, bringing its deep experience in complex urban projects including the nearly complete Denver Union Station Redevelopment – the largest public transit project under construction in the United States – and other high-profile projects across the country and around the world.

The joint planning effort represents a unique opportunity to develop new plans and re-envision existing planning efforts to create a single, integrated vision for the 30th Street Station precinct. The SOM team will aim to develop a future where the station is at the epicenter of a dynamic, urban neighborhood full of opportunities for community development, economic development and improved transportation connections. A wide range of commercial opportunities, including a new vision for retail spaces within the station and the potential development of air rights above 75 acres of rail yards adjacent to the station, will also be considered.

The master plan will be guided by a Coordinating Committee comprised of Amtrak, Drexel University, Brandywine Realty Trust, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), City of Philadelphia, New Jersey Transit, CSX Corporation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, Schuylkill River Development Corporation and University City District.
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They will need a big conference room for meetings with that many stakeholders on the committee.

Roger Duffy, SOM Design Partner, called this project “a singular opportunity to reimagine one of the most significant and dramatic urban areas in America. We are honored to have been selected and we look forward to collaborating with the diverse group of local and regional stakeholders on this transformative vision.”

With master planning efforts currently being advanced in Washington, DC, Baltimore, New York, Chicago and now Philadelphia, Amtrak is poised to turn congested and tired rail stations into the centerpieces of thriving urban neighborhoods that appeal to the millennial and baby boomer generations. As these populations continue to flock to cities to live, work and play, they are demanding walkable communities with vibrant arts and cultural institutions and access to transportation hubs such as 30th Street Station.

The Joint Master Plan is funded by Drexel University and its partners. Drexel is also developing its Innovation Neighborhood project on 12 acres of its campus adjacent to 30th Street Station to attract and launch high-tech businesses seeking a rich research and commercialization environment with unmatched transit access.
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The boldface is mine on who is paying for the Joint Master Plan project. So Amtrak is getting Drexel and the real estate developers to pay for it. Good thinking.
 
Found this on Amtrak's Media page:
https://media.amtrak.com/2021/09/am...ii-30th-street-station-redevelopment-project/
Amtrak and Plenary Infrastructure Philadelphia (PIP) have reached financial close on a lease and development agreement for the restoration and renovation of the William H. Gray III 30th Street Station. Under the agreement, PIP will refurbish and improve the historic building, finance those improvements and maintain the station for a 50-year term.

As part of the project, PIP will be responsible for:
  • Bringing the overall station into a state of good repair.
  • Providing expanded retail offerings to meet the needs of travelers and the local community.
  • Enhancing operational efficiency through reconfiguration and modernization of back-of-house facilities to accommodate projected increases in ridership.
  • Significantly enhancing the quality of customer experience with an emphasis on convenience, usability and comfort.
  • Rejuvenating the historic station as both a customer-oriented gateway and civic destination by celebrating and enhancing the facility’s unique and iconic Neoclassical and Art Deco design.
  • Completing a renovation of the corporate office spaces in the upper levels of the station.
  • Operations and maintenance of the existing building, beginning on September 1, 2021.
  • Creating an expanded and modernized concessions experience, with high quality retail and food & beverage offerings for travelers and employees.
Construction on the renovation is expected to begin in 2022 and be complete in 2025.

Key members of the PIP team include: Plenary Americas as lead developer, Gilbane Building Company as design-build lead, Johnson Controls Inc. for facility operations and maintenance, and Vantage Airport Group for concessions development and management.
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west point said:
Seems a long time to complete construction
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Does the time estimate include air rights development over the yard? From what I could see, it looks like they're building a whole miniature downtown on that site, so the project is more than just rehabbing a station that's already in pretty good shape.

I wonder how much the construction will disrupt the passenger experience for those who use the station. This also might explain why most of the places in the food court have been slow to reopen after covid.

Finally, are they planning to restore the direct connection to the Market-Frankford Subway line? You now have to go outside to do this, and the closest subway entrance is now closed for construction, probably unrelated to this project.
 
MARC Rider said:
Does the time estimate include air rights development over the yard? From what I could see, it looks like they're building a whole miniature downtown on that site, so the project is more than just rehabbing a station that's already in pretty good shape.

I wonder how much the construction will disrupt the passenger experience for those who use the station. This also might explain why most of the places in the food court have been slow to reopen after covid.

Finally, are they planning to restore the direct connection to the Market-Frankford Subway line? You now have to go outside to do this, and the closest subway entrance is now closed for construction, probably unrelated to this project.
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I believe the closure of that closest subway entrance is for better ADA access among other things.

https://www.phillytrib.com/news/loc...cle_fc9a4ff4-1800-5616-b0f5-1d2f939ab9f4.html
https://phillyyimby.com/2021/01/wor...use-in-university-city-west-philadelphia.html
 
jis said:
Here is the website for the 30th St Station development plan

https://www.gray30thstreetstation.com/
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Thank you. Good to know what’s ahead.

Looking at some of the pictures, my conclusions are:

Lounge: Looks much better. I like the wall dividers. More privacy. Now everyone in the whole place can’t see me munch on a cinnamon roll.

Main Hall: Thank goodness they had sense enough to keep the historic windows and lights and benches. Still looks classy.

They do seem to have thrown a restaurant/bar in one corner. That could be either nice or trashy—time will tell—but at least it’s off to one side.

Food Court: From the couple of pictures of it, looks like junk food like before but with fancier exteriors (and probably higher costs!)

I didn’t look at the outside pictures since I would always be traveling and just passing through when there so would not be going outside.
 
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Nothing obviously objectionable in it - they're clearly focused on preserving the historic architecture of the station, as they should be. Will public (including Amtrak) money be committed? If not then I have no issue, but if so - it's not immediately obvious to me what the problem is that this plan seeks to address.
 

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