Steve Brauntuch: Postal lands key to future growth and Rodin's legacy

You may have noticed an article last week in this newspaper about Penn buying some weird stretch of land down by the river from the U.S. Postal Service. If you've ever been down to that area, you probably wondered, "So what is Penn going to do with warehouses, old train tracks and a mail building?"

That old, dirty area on the Schuylkill called the postal lands will cost this school $50 million when the sale is finally completed three years from now. Not only will it prove to be the lasting legacy of Judith Rodin's tenure as president, but it will be the smartest and most important purchase in the history of this school. For roughly the cost of renovating two high rises, Penn has secured the future jewel of the campus. And here's why.

First, a little background for those who haven't been ardent followers of development plans past. The 24 acres of land in question currently house a mail-processing plant, which the U.S. Postal Service has been looking to dump for years, and about 80 billion mail trucks. The area has recently been considered a hot commodity in the city, especially for transportation purposes, and at one time was considered a possible site for the new Phillies stadium.

In 1993, Penn administrators started discussing the idea of expanding to the east. With Penn's promise to the West Philly community that 40th Street would be the end of the westward push and little room to expand either north or south, east was the only realistic direction to add to Penn's somewhat cramped quarters. But nothing was put down on paper.

Then, in April 1999, the University officially began creating a development plan for the future of campus, one that included the purchase of the postal lands. "We're landlocked," Executive Vice President and savior John Fry said at the time. "This is the only place for the University to expand." Fry even referred to the area as the "future envelope of our campus."

But when the economy began to suffer, so did the chances of the USPS moving to a new processing facility. Initial plans to set up a $125 million plant on 70th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard were scrapped in favor of a building right near the airport. Then, a nationwide USPS capital freeze prevented any further development on the South Philly building, leaving Penn with no leverage in acquiring the postal lands for the time being.

Meanwhile, the University began to adjust to the possibility of life without more land. A bioengineering facility that would have been located on 31st Street was moved two blocks west. With no room for retail hubs to the east, Penn officials shifted their focus back to 40th Street. And plans for a new recreation facility -- and possible successor to the Palestra -- were shelved.

Still, the University never gave up on eastward expansion, waiting patiently for the USPS to recover and prepare to move south. And last week, after a decade of planning, the postal lands officially became Penn property. Now all that's left is three years of waiting, 10 years of construction and 10 more years of development.

But this will all be worth it. A wide array of ideas have been tossed around, including a footbridge connecting Penn to Center City and new dormitories that would eliminate the need for the high rises. Some administrators have even called for more green space, citing a lack of open fields on campus. (If only some budding columnist had written ... oh, never mind. But thanks to Dean Preston for the shout-out.)

The point is that for a negligible amount of money, Penn administrators have secured the future of this campus. No more squeezing buildings into tiny corridors. No more cramming 25 students into a classroom built for 10. No more hideous, 25-story buildings creating wind tunnels on Superblock.

Yes, it's going to take two decades to turn that area into something that can be heralded on tours. And it won't affect most of us until somebody comes to our doors asking for donations to help build townhouses on 31st Street. But when we bring our children back to visit our alma mater and see brand-new dorms, classrooms and a sports complex, we'll all be thanking our former president and the people she put in charge of finalizing this purchase.

People have been wondering what Judith Rodin's lasting impact on this university will be when she steps down. This is it. This is the culmination of a successful 10 years in office. The rankings and the endowment may fluctuate. Professors will come and go. Policies will certainly change. But the postal lands are the type of tangible commodity that will keep this school among the elite down the road.

Don't believe me? Come back in 20 years and see for yourself.

Steve Brauntuch is a senior communications major from Tenafly, N.J., and former editorial page editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. Statler and Waldorf appears on Wednesdays..

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