Dilworth Plaza Redo Begins Soon

The renovation of Dilworth Plaza, the main Gateway to City Hall, will soon get underway.  The two-and-a  half year construction project is stated to open some time in 2014.  The currently inaccessible, multi-level, unattractive, hard-surface plaza into a sustainable, well-maintained, green public space with no stairs or barriers from the street.  The new plaza will have a large lawn, tree groves, a programmable fountain and space for 400 benches and chairs.  The underground will be dramatically improved as a new transit gateway, providing entrances to Broad Street and Market Street subways and the trolley lines.  New elevators will make the transit levels accessible for the first time.

The Center City District has a long-term (30-year) lease with the City for Dilworth Plaza to construct, maintain, and manage the Plaza.  The CCD will assume all cleaning, site- and landscape-maintenance responsibilities for the Plaza.  The $50 million renovation project is supported by a $15 million grant from the federal Transportation Investment Generating Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program, and $15.5 million grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, $5 million from the city's capital program, $4.3 million from SEPTA, and a variety of foundation, corporate, and private contributions.  The new Dilworth Plaza was designed by Kieran Timberlake architects, OLIN landscape architects, and Urban Engineers.