Spruce Street Plaza Construction

Plan Philly's Eyes on the Street reports that, this winter on the corner of 34th and Spruce will emerge a $2.5 million public space called Spruce Street Plaza.  The plaza is located on lot 8 between the Pennsylvania Museum and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, which is currently a parking lot wedged between 33rd and 34th streets at Spruce. Known for its street food trucks, Penn is reclaiming this triangular desert as Spruce Street Plaza.

Last week construction fencing went up and the large perimeter trees along Spruce Street were cut down to make way for the new public plaza, that will serve as an attractive gateway to Penn's medical campus.  The sight, designed by landscape architecture firm Matthews Nielsen Landscape Architects, features a large central lawn, pathways made of permeable pavers, ornamental and shade trees.  The plaza will get new benches and lighting as well as a mid-block crossing at the southern end to help create a safer way for pedestrians to navigate the area where 33rd and 34th merge.