Elmo T
08-17-05, 07:49 AM
Link (http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/12400255.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)
There is a also a track map in the paper, but not on the web. I'll try to scan it in later and post.
Posted on Wed, Aug. 17, 2005
Critics say races would steer Parkway off course
By Anthony S. Twyman
Inquirer Staff Writer
Holding a high-speed motor race on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway could bring the city millions of dollars in hotel, restaurant and shopping revenue from tourists who would flock to the event, city officials say.
But permanent road changes that actor and race-car aficionado Paul Newman and his colleagues from the Champ Car World Series are seeking would ruin the cultural ambience of the area and derail plans to make the Parkway more pedestrian-friendly, a growing chorus of critics counters.
The proposal, which Newman and his colleagues delivered to the city this month, calls for widening, by as much as 10 feet, sections of the Parkway and a portion of Race Street in front of the Moore College of Art and Design, according to a copy of the proposal obtained by The Inquirer.
The city would be expected to foot the estimated $800,000 bill.
The proposal also calls for several streets to be reconfigured. On a temporary basis, grandstands would be erected, streets shut down, and a half-dozen pedestrian bridges built across the proposed race course.
"They want to turn the Parkway into a 14-lane-wide highway," said Paul Levy, executive director of the Center City District.
With help from the city and private foundations, Levy's agency has led a multimillion-dollar effort to improve streetlights, traffic lights and pedestrian crosswalks on the Parkway.
"We truly believe that the idea of widening roadways and reducing public space is completely contrary to the vision we all hold for the Parkway," states a letter the Parkway Council Foundation sent recently to several city officials and the Fairmount Park Commission's chairman.
The foundation includes high-ranking representatives from the Moore College of Art and Design, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Franklin Institute, and a variety of other cultural and educational institutions and businesses, such as the Four Seasons Hotel, that are on or near the Parkway.
City officials appear to be listening to the critics.
In an interview, Managing Director Pedro Ramos said the city was planning to contact Champ Car soon and suggest it consider other options for the race.
"Our next step is to communicate formally with Champ Car organizers and see if they want to jointly explore other venues," Ramos said.
He said Champ Car's proposal was "thoughtful" but did not seem feasible because it raised a lot of concerns in the community.
During a meeting with city officials Aug. 3, Newman, who co-owns a Champ Car racing team, asked them to accept the racing proposal.
Champ Car street races typically draw 150,000 fans and can bring $25 million to $50 million in revenue into the city, mainly through restaurant and hotel bookings, according to previous estimates provided by city officials.
The Champ Car proposal all but rules out Franklin D. Roosevelt Park in South Philadelphia, near the stadium complex, and East and West Fairmount Park, on each side of the Schuylkill - locations city officials had suggested.
The proposal says these locations have hills, lakes and terrain that would require "substantial infrastructure expenditures in order to provide an adequate racing surface, while still lacking in the necessary open spaces" for grandstands, staging areas and hospitality areas.
Instead, as thousands of visitors to Philadelphia have done before them, the Champ Car officials fell in love with the Parkway, from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Logan Circle.
What's not to love?
The Parkway, the proposal says, has "stunning beauty," is a "world class" venue, and has an "unusual amount" of open green space, which would be good for grandstands, hospitality areas and general viewing. It also has numerous hotels nearby, the proposal states, for the drivers and their fans.
It is the recommended infrastructure changes that have critics upset.
Champ Car, for example, proposes to widen by eight to 10 feet the one-way, two-lane road that is adjacent to the Parkway and heads toward the Art Museum. It wants the road, which is near the Free Library of Philadelphia, widened from 20th Street to 22d Street so that it meets Champ Car's 40-foot minimum-width requirement.
The proposal also calls for widening Race Street by 10 feet between Logan Circle and 20th Street in front of Moore College to give the race cars room to maneuver.
"It's totally incongruous with what we're trying to do," said Happy Fernandez, Moore president.
Moore started a sidewalk cafe in April, Fernandez said, and has created a small sculpture park nearby. "We've been trying to create a pedestrian, visitor, come-and-enjoy-the-Parkway atmosphere," she said.
Larry Needle, executive director of the Philadelphia Sports Congress, a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said he understood the concerns of the Parkway institutions but hoped a mutually acceptable location could be found.
"Hopefully, we can reach some common ground," Needle said.
There is a also a track map in the paper, but not on the web. I'll try to scan it in later and post.
Posted on Wed, Aug. 17, 2005
Critics say races would steer Parkway off course
By Anthony S. Twyman
Inquirer Staff Writer
Holding a high-speed motor race on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway could bring the city millions of dollars in hotel, restaurant and shopping revenue from tourists who would flock to the event, city officials say.
But permanent road changes that actor and race-car aficionado Paul Newman and his colleagues from the Champ Car World Series are seeking would ruin the cultural ambience of the area and derail plans to make the Parkway more pedestrian-friendly, a growing chorus of critics counters.
The proposal, which Newman and his colleagues delivered to the city this month, calls for widening, by as much as 10 feet, sections of the Parkway and a portion of Race Street in front of the Moore College of Art and Design, according to a copy of the proposal obtained by The Inquirer.
The city would be expected to foot the estimated $800,000 bill.
The proposal also calls for several streets to be reconfigured. On a temporary basis, grandstands would be erected, streets shut down, and a half-dozen pedestrian bridges built across the proposed race course.
"They want to turn the Parkway into a 14-lane-wide highway," said Paul Levy, executive director of the Center City District.
With help from the city and private foundations, Levy's agency has led a multimillion-dollar effort to improve streetlights, traffic lights and pedestrian crosswalks on the Parkway.
"We truly believe that the idea of widening roadways and reducing public space is completely contrary to the vision we all hold for the Parkway," states a letter the Parkway Council Foundation sent recently to several city officials and the Fairmount Park Commission's chairman.
The foundation includes high-ranking representatives from the Moore College of Art and Design, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Franklin Institute, and a variety of other cultural and educational institutions and businesses, such as the Four Seasons Hotel, that are on or near the Parkway.
City officials appear to be listening to the critics.
In an interview, Managing Director Pedro Ramos said the city was planning to contact Champ Car soon and suggest it consider other options for the race.
"Our next step is to communicate formally with Champ Car organizers and see if they want to jointly explore other venues," Ramos said.
He said Champ Car's proposal was "thoughtful" but did not seem feasible because it raised a lot of concerns in the community.
During a meeting with city officials Aug. 3, Newman, who co-owns a Champ Car racing team, asked them to accept the racing proposal.
Champ Car street races typically draw 150,000 fans and can bring $25 million to $50 million in revenue into the city, mainly through restaurant and hotel bookings, according to previous estimates provided by city officials.
The Champ Car proposal all but rules out Franklin D. Roosevelt Park in South Philadelphia, near the stadium complex, and East and West Fairmount Park, on each side of the Schuylkill - locations city officials had suggested.
The proposal says these locations have hills, lakes and terrain that would require "substantial infrastructure expenditures in order to provide an adequate racing surface, while still lacking in the necessary open spaces" for grandstands, staging areas and hospitality areas.
Instead, as thousands of visitors to Philadelphia have done before them, the Champ Car officials fell in love with the Parkway, from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Logan Circle.
What's not to love?
The Parkway, the proposal says, has "stunning beauty," is a "world class" venue, and has an "unusual amount" of open green space, which would be good for grandstands, hospitality areas and general viewing. It also has numerous hotels nearby, the proposal states, for the drivers and their fans.
It is the recommended infrastructure changes that have critics upset.
Champ Car, for example, proposes to widen by eight to 10 feet the one-way, two-lane road that is adjacent to the Parkway and heads toward the Art Museum. It wants the road, which is near the Free Library of Philadelphia, widened from 20th Street to 22d Street so that it meets Champ Car's 40-foot minimum-width requirement.
The proposal also calls for widening Race Street by 10 feet between Logan Circle and 20th Street in front of Moore College to give the race cars room to maneuver.
"It's totally incongruous with what we're trying to do," said Happy Fernandez, Moore president.
Moore started a sidewalk cafe in April, Fernandez said, and has created a small sculpture park nearby. "We've been trying to create a pedestrian, visitor, come-and-enjoy-the-Parkway atmosphere," she said.
Larry Needle, executive director of the Philadelphia Sports Congress, a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said he understood the concerns of the Parkway institutions but hoped a mutually acceptable location could be found.
"Hopefully, we can reach some common ground," Needle said.