Officials unveiled their draft plan Tuesday for an ambitious overhaul of the 30th Street Station, shortly before holding an open house to publicly discuss the plan.
The Philadelphia 30th Street Station District Plan — a joint effort between Amtrak, Brandywine Realty Trust, Drexel University and SEPTA — rolled out their proposed steps to make the station and surrounding neighborhood more accommodating to increased rail use as well as residents and visitors to the area.
Among the developments the plan aims to achieve are a giant new urban neighborhood built over the rail yards, a pedestrian bridge over the Schuylkill River into Fairmount park, a sky-lit concourse connecting the station to the subway and trolleys and the expansion and improvement of surrounding parks and neighborhoods.
Those behind the draft plan hope to turn the area into a more livable, walkable area while also increasing the transportation hub's ability to take in a growing number of riders.
The timeline for the varied proposals stretches into 2050. Improvements to transportation are slated to begin first with the new neighborhoods and outward development set for later.
More information on the plan can be found here.