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climbing
walls and ramps by Billy Bolo
i think that they should take that space and make a skate board
an climbing/bouldering park. amongst the climbing walls and ramps
there should be trees, flowers, and benches. there would be a fire
pit for night time bon-fires and drum circles. public toilets, showers,
and drinking water would also be provided using filtered water.good
luck with this project.
take care
billy bolo
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Lenni
Lanape by Eleanor Penn
The Lenni Lenape Tribe must still be around
Why not give back to them the 8th & Market ground?
Declare it a Reservation and let them do the rest.
Wouldn't a Casino be better than failed Disney Quest?
It doesn't have to be a fancy, high stakes place.
Limited payoffs and family entertainment in this wasted space
Would attract tourists and keep Philadelphians here at home
Instead of crossing the river to those Seashore Domes.
Let's think, too, of all those displaced skaters
There might be room for them in what's been an ugly crater.
Anything would be better than a dull parking lot --
Come on -- Give me a place to put my nickel in a
slot..................
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Philadelphia
Skate Park by Rob Sachs
I'm sorry that I didn't go through the process of doing an artist
rendering, but I was inspired by an idea for this hole just last
night as I was watching Tony Hawk on ESPN2. I think the hole should
be a combination ice-skating rink/skate park. Think about it. In
the winter the hole would be analogous to Rockefeller Center, where
the whole city comes to convene and have a great time in a beautiful
downtown rink. It would be in full display during the Mummer's Parade
and would be great to revitalize night-time activity in that area.
There could be a city-runned hot chocolate/snack stand (like the
one they have in DC at their skating rink on the mall) The River
Rink is too expensive and too inaccessible, so this would be a great
alternative and a shining center piece to the city.
And what better thing to do in the summer but to open up the concrete
to the hundreds (if not thousands) of skaters and roller bladers
that were completely dissed when Mayor Street closed Love Park.
With the momentum gathered from the X-Games, Philadelphia could
solidify itself as a hip gen-x place by giving the rink over to
skaters. Also, the area could be equipped with skate ramps and other
amenities that would be removed during the winter ice skating rink
phase. What a public relations coup this would be for Mayor Street!
These facilities could be built above an underground parking garage.
It could be called simply Philadelphia Skate Park or PSP for short.
Hope you like the idea,
Sincerely,
Rob Sachs
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like
a new Rittenhouse... by James Resta
A co-worker and I are working on a sketch for your DisneyHole expo.
I can't say I speak for everyone but a lot of us here at the planning
commission support your work. Only time and a lot of hard work will
tell what happens there but in considering the "highest and
best use" for that potential gem of a property . . . 8th&Market
is one of the busiest stations in the city with at least 40,000
people passing through the concourse every day. It's at the intersection
of 3 subway lines. We have a huge investment in transit here and
encouraging uses that don't support transit are a waste of money
and resources. This doesn't mean a park and a museum can't fit into
the equation. If Burger King and Rite Aid were demolished and something
new built in their place - to go along with what gets built on the
DisneyHole - the concourse could be opened up and could be another
street below the street - It could be a weatherproof public space.
In thinking of uses, a park is a good idea for the location but
it should be framed by new buildings - that site needs context.
It shouldn't front on Market St. - who the hell wants to look across
the Market St. and see the blank white walls of the Gallery. The
traffic is noisy and intense on Market St. - it's not conducive
to sitting. Housing, housing, housing. Without a mix of uses any
park is doomed to failure. Here is the classic comparison of Rittenhouse
and Washington Square. Washington Square has housing and office
but no retail. The result is no one in the park during the day.
People eat their lunch there and walk their dogs there but without
the retail to draw crowds during the day you have a very difficult
time maintaining the critical mass necessary to keep a park well
peopled and safe.
There's little to no housing on Chestnut or along jewelers row (yet
great potential for such) but there's plenty of nearby retail and
a fair amount of office space. Perhaps the site should focus mainly
on housing with some room for office and of course - street and
concourse level retail that will address formost the needs of new
residents. It doesn't have to be an outdoor "Gallery."
Think more like a new Rittenhouse but more down to earth. Perhaps
the park could tie into the theme of jeweler's row with some central
point
for proposing that could become a Philly tradition . . ?
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Garage
plus by Rbruderek
As parking is a premium in Philadelphia I have two great ideas.
1) Two or Three Story Parking Garage with a skateboard park on the
roof.
2) Two or Three Story Parking Garage with a park on the roof. You
could have seating for shows during the summer on specific nights
the would showcase Philadelphia talent. You could have a Water Ice
stand and picnic tables. The possibilities are endless.
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A.P.P.
by J P Smith
1. Aristocracy
create a huge metal complex labyrinthine walkway of 10" thick
core10 steel
plates laid out on concrete risers to lead to a rail less deck with
a
single story building at the 13th floor street level. at this level,
the
building would be a large frameless glass cube approximately 21'
x 21' x 21'
and inside would be untidy mens and womens restrooms, an empty cigarette
machine and a small understocked snack bar.
2. Posterity
behind a rough hewn wooden barricade type fence with faux chipping
paint
build a cheap amusement park type 1/4 scale miniature version of
what
philadelphia was like back in 1776 with a small electric train to
ride
people around. use the restrooms to supply the realistic open sewers,
employ homeless as street beggars and have miniature horses shitting
all
over the place. Charge $75 per person...no child discount.
3. Puritanism
Fill it in with soil, plant some grass, flowers, some nice trees,
put in a
few benches, fresh water fountains, maybe have a latte cart. Have
free
Wi-Fi. Keep police and groundskeeping on duty 24/7. have convenient
public
restrooms available. have cubes for homeless to sleep in and a washroom.
make it like rittenhouse square east, but better more modern.
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love
hotel by Scot H. Ziskind
I have been talking to a few people about this for a few months.
The city took away the world's best known state board park. Love
Park... is a people draw. What I propose is a 5 story hotel ( built
in a U shape, open to Market St.) with a reproduction of Love Park
(w/ or w/ out the statue) The first floor of the hotel facing the
street would be shops. What kind of shops you ask... Skate board
shops that are now near or on South St. would relocate to this new
area. Hey ,Vans might even want to move in as the anchor store.
Restaurants would be needed to feed the masses. It would be right
in the heart of public transportation for folks coming in from parts
of the city, the Philadelphia suburbs or from NJ. The hotel would
be supported by out of town families coming to use the park and
by athletes staying at the new hotel. Build it for the professional
sport teams that come into the city. Make the hotel a 4 or 5 star
hotel w/ a great chef.
Make it and they shall come.
But, for the whole thing to work an underground parking garage must
be built. Thank you for the chance to tell another person my idea.....
by the way my mother invented the plastic table that Pizza Hut uses
to keep the box from crushing & I own 2 businesses that deal
with wine storage.
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parking
lot...ugh by Mbutz999
This hole would be a great place for a nationally known skate board
park. Personally I don't skate board, but it is fun to watch. Surround
the park with chairs and tables for people to sit and watch the
fun. Maybe a cafe there to serve food. The park could be in the
hole and the spectators at ground level, sort of a Rockefeller Center
effect. It could be very special. As far as the parking lot.....ugh.
What a terrible use of a main street lot.
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trails by Michael Molder
The City is promising a skate park to make up for the loss of Love
Park. I think this would be the perfect place. A bit of landscaping,
benches, and some phenomenal trails, pipes, tracks, etc. Since it
is already below grade, it's the perfect site--it won't cause any
distraction or noise on street level.
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| Paved
Paradise by Alan Charkey
How about building the JMMC? (Joni Mitchell Memorial Complex),
to realize her vision from the song "Big Yellow Taxi":
"They paved Paradise, put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot.
Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til
it's
gone?
They paved Paradise, put up a parking lot."
All we need is the pink hotel, the boutique, and the swingin' hot
spot. A big, yellow taxi wouldn't hurt, also. Joni can be guest
speaker at the ribbon cutting.
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NO!
To another ugly parking lot by Monica Choi
My suggestion for the DisneyHole Site is an urban track for walkers
and runners who live and work in the area. Some sculpture would
enliven the area. This would be inexpensive and consistent with
Mayor Street's goals for a healthy city.
NO! To another ugly parking lot which encourages people to drive
their cars rather than use mass transit.
Monica Choi, Nurse Practitioner at the nearby Ben Franklin House
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The
Visible Hole by George Stallings
Well, don't fill the hole. Plant grass and small trees in the hole
and have one wall of the hole have a descending screen. On this
screen the city can show movies for free, or for a small fee (which
can go towards cleaning up the grounds). The other three sides can
be covered in glass or plexiglass. Behind this plexiglass the city
can install a false underground showing water and electrical lines
and pipes, subway lines (the real subway stop at 8th street....this
could also allow a lot of natural light into the the subway structure),
fiber optic cables, sewers, real worms (real rats would make their
way in eventually), etc. It can be an exibit of the underground
of the city.....the part of a city we almost never see and that
is always so near, yet separate from us always (unless our pipes
freeze). The underground structures of a city allow it to serve
its modern functions; they make a city a city. They could even scatter
real trash and valuables around parts of the work, showing what
archeologists and construction workers will eventually find at all
sites in the city in the future (think Independence Mall). A lower
part of the wall can even act as space for local artwork.
They could even put an old-fashioned water pump in the park. Of
course nobody will drink from it because the water comes from the
ground. This can act as a subtle reminder demonstrating just what
we are doing to our planet.
We're willing to trash a place, but eventually we're going to have
to sleep, eat, and drink in it. They can walk across the street
and buy water for $1.50 per bottle from a vendor.
Well, just an idea.
George Stallings
Middlebury College
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Soccer,
like London by Dominick D'Orazio
Philadelphia could get their own Major League Soccer team and build
a soccer only field there. They've got soocer fields built into every
nook and cranny in downtown London, England. Why couldn't they do
it in downtown Philadelphia ? |
| Flea
market by Cisamba
I say open the site for flea market to draw people to come to downtown.
A place where poeple can come to browse around and even listen to
street performers.
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it
would be a waste... by Richard Yoon
Hi!
I'm a resident of Philadelphia and had a few suggestions for the
hole at 8th and Market Streets (former DisneyQuest site).
1) a new, upscale retail complex with central courtyard/park
2) a lower level retail complex with multi-level garage above it
3) a large park with a fountain
4) a new office complex with retail center
5) a COMPUSA, BestBuy, or Circuit City (none in center city currently)
with garage
I'm sure all of these suggestions have already been made, but I
think it would be a waste to fill the hole with a flat parking lot.
Thanks and
good luck,
Richard Yoon
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