PHILADELPHIA — On the west side of this city’s main Amtrak station sits an empty lot. But soon, it will be transformed into a public park filled with lawns, walkways and even redwood trees, in the first stage of one of Philadelphia’s biggest real estate projects.
The 1.3-acre park, to be known as Drexel Square, kicks off a 20-year, $3.5 billion development that aims to create a hub for technology and life-sciences companies called Schuylkill (pronounced SKOO-kul) Yards. Not only will the project fill in an underused section of real estate, it is also intended to develop business opportunities for research coming out of Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, both just a few blocks away.
Image: Across from Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Drexel Square is under construction at Schuylkill Yards, a $3.5 billion innovation community. Credit Mark Makela for The New York Times
