Also this issue: Cutting Corners Why intersections matter. -Harris M. Steinberg

December 5-11, 2002

cityspace

Penned Out?

by Daniel Brook

Politicians involved in the planning process for Penn’s Landing are vowing that the public will have plenty of input. With Indianapolis retail magnate Mel Simon out of the picture, it’s back to square one. But in the rush to put a decent face on what has been a longtime embarrassment for the city, will the public be heard?

According to City Commerce Director James Cuorato, who is leading the administration's effort on Penn's Landing, "We're trying to give the public a real sense that they'll be part of this process."

The public will be encouraged to post comments on a website. "To supplement the website, we're also planning but have not yet finalized several public forums at which people will be able to come and view the plans and discuss what they would like to see at Penn's Landing," Cuorato says.

The administration has yet to announce the date or location of any of these face-to-face forums.

In the meantime, developers have already been asked to respond to a "request for qualifications" or "RFQ." RFQs generally require developers to show that they have the financial capability and real-world experience to take on a project of significant size. In addition, Cuorato says, developers are being asked to provide a basic plan as well, though Cuorato says this is not a full-blown "request for proposals," or "RFP." "We want to see a general concept," he says.

Once the number of developers is narrowed down to between two and four, there will again be a period for public input.

Councilman Frank DiCicco, whose district encompasses Penn's Landing, has called for public hearings in City Council to discuss the project. "We anticipate having hearings probably in the later part of January [or] at the latest early February," he says. Still, DiCicco maintains that "those forums will happen in plenty of time and [with] enough frequency to be able to forward the recommendations and opinions to the developers who make the shortlist."

Some in the design community worry that the public will be heard too little, too late. Alan Greenberger, an architect and founding member of the Design Advocacy Group, says, "I think there's a rush [and] I don't understand what the hurry is." Greenberger says the city should use the Park Service hearings on Independence Mall as a model, soliciting and recording public input before drawing up any plans.