Guest Opinion | Eastward expansion should look in other directions

The newly released University of Pennsylvania Master Plan, called "Penn Connects" - which will engulf and add the 30th Street Post Office property to its campus - is very creative, as far as it goes. The plans will certainly improve that section of Philadelphia. Master plans, however, need to be probed and rethought before becoming set permanently in departmental planning. They should also be receptive to new ideas, both from within and from loyal outsiders. Master planning is like fitting a horseshoe: It takes a lot of pounding on the anvil and numerous trials to get a perfect fit for each foot.

There are fundamental studies that still need to be completed to find the best opportunities and the best fit for dear old Penn on this new property. Penn also must continue rising to new levels of leadership to achieve this vision and be the fiercely determined patron of its own campus. This is a mission!

Foremost in this fundamental planning is capitalizing on the financial keystone that is the Post Office Building itself. This is a magnificently grand, George Wharton Pepper-designed building, a mother lode of revenue opportunities for which Penn will need aggressive and creative tactics to take full advantage of. What other building, on any other campus, has the AMTRAK train tracks connecting the whole Eastern Seaboard of the United States on their lower level? If New York can move their major train station into the old post office property next door, we too must find an equivalent silk purse in the basement of our own old post office building.

Also, the developers of the CIRA building, just two blocks north, are undoubtedly scheming to build additional office towers that connect to the 30th Street Station. Penn must think expansively as well about the unbelievable opportunity to build one or two multi-tenant, high-rise buildings right out through the roof of the post office, complete with a rent roll to finance many of the Master Plan projects.

Secondly, 60 years ago, the ramps, exits and structure of the Schuylkill Expressway were built. The Crosstown Expressway was designed to bulldoze through South Street and connect at that bridge but it was never built; on- and off-ramps were designed with death-defying short merges with almost no visibility in places that are no longer the best locations for any ramp. Most of all, the Expressway is exceedingly dangerous and would never be built today.

The terrifying danger of having the Expressway at Penn's entry points is the University's mandate to lead a study of all traffic that enters and leaves the campus. An engineering study must consider the feasibility of building a tunnel parallel to and replacing the Expressway under the Schuylkill River with safe on- and off-ramps that go where it makes sense. Without this study, Penn will limit its future within the odd blocks of land left by dangerous and foolish designs from 60 years ago.

Thirdly, "The University of Pennsylvania on the Schuylkill River" sounds so beautiful and more connected than the U. of P. in West Philadelphia. "On the Schuylkill River" is the defining opportunity for dear old Penn, serving as a mega-benefit by improving all traffic access. A mile and a half of unobscured riverfront will be Penn's as the result of building a safe expressway tunnel to replace the very ugly and dangerous existing, elevated Expressway.

There are nine miles of water from the Fairmount Dam downstream to the Delaware River that can be used for water sports, activities and festivals similar to those that Dartmouth (on the Connecticut River), Princeton (on Lake Carnegie) and Harvard (on the Charles River) have for their students, faculty and surrounding community.

The University will be redefined as a beautiful river campus with access north, east, south and west by train and by water.

Now, that is Penn Connected!

Guest columnist Gardner Cadwalader graduated from the College in 1970 and Penn's School of Design in 1975. His e-mail address is gardnercad@verizon.net.

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