University breaks ground on 24-acre Penn Park project
Photo credit: Stuart Watson
In a ceremony held at the foot of Philadelphia's downtown skyline, Penn President Amy Gutmann joined University Trustees, community leaders, and members of the campus community to break ground on Penn Park, the centerpiece of the Penn Connects master development plan.
Stretching along the West bank of the Schuylkill River, Penn Park will transform 24 acres of land that the University acquired from the U.S. Postal Service into outdoor athletic fields, a tennis center and pedestrian walkways. The urban green space will replace what is currently a barren sweep of parking lots and storage sheds.
Calling the project an "extreme makeover, Penn style," Gutmann said when the park is completed, in 2011, it will invigorate commercial development along the Walnut Street corridor, bridge Center City to University City and complete William Penn's historic plan to create a "green country towne."
Expanding the campus eastward, Penn Park will increase the University’s green space by 20 percent. It will feature environmentally sustainable native grasses, trees and shrubs, and during its construction Penn will recycle and reuse all the asphalt, cobblestones and granite that is excavated.
Designed by landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh, the Penn Park project will place the University, once again, at the forefront of innovative land use and responsible urban development. Click here to read more from President Gutmann about the project.
Updated Nov. 6, 2009
