Spring Break
Zoning issues halt new dorm plans
Jessica Mangold
Issue date: 7/22/05 Section: News
|
The hearing was over erecting a 600 resident six story residential building with a parking garage, parking lot, and retail stores. A lawyer representing the University filed the zoning request July 1. Upon filing the request Powelton Village Civic Association and neighbors of Powelton Village reacted with strong resistance.
The judge presiding over the hearing ruled that PVCA, Drexel University and Campus Apartments should meet and try to solve the problem collectively. The University has leased the lot to private developer David Adelman, who is involved with Campus Apartments. Adelman has already created an artistic conception of what the residential building will look like at the lot.
Many members from PVCA, residents from the community and Councilwomnan Jannie Blackwell were present at the hearing. Representatives from Campus Apartments and a lawyer from the University were also in attendance. There was no representation from the University administration.
There is a great amount of history about the lot going all the way back to early 1990s when the Consolidated Laundry Building went out of business. The site remained unused as the building was demolished in 1995. Soon after, the University expressed a desire to turn the lot into a recreational space that could be used University students as well as Powelton Village residents.
PVCA claims that they were a key aspect in convincing the National Linen Service, who owned the lot, to sell their property to the University. The PVCA wrote a letter urging the land to be sold to the University in October of 1996. After much talk, the University purchased the lot in September of 1997 for the price of $470,000.
PVCA President Deborah Burnham revealed that not long after the University purchased the Consolidated Laundry Lot, University President Constantine Papadakis signed a letter agreeing to use the land as a shared, green, recreational space. Since that time, there have been failed attempts from the University to turn the lot into housing space.
As of right now, the University has not been very forthcoming about their building plans at 32nd and Powelton avenue. "Drexel is in ongoing discussions about the Powelton Village space." reported Niki Gianakaris, assistant director of the Drexel News Bureau.
Be the first to comment on this story