PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Following a $30 million renovation and two decades of planning, PATCO’s Franklin Square Station is open again for the first time since 1979.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, led by Mayor Cherelle Parker, locals and commuters celebrated the station's revival. It's a development locals believe will create a new gateway into Chinatown and Philadelphia’s historic district. Amy Needle, president and CEO of Historic Philadelphia, Inc., which manages Franklin Square, has high hopes for it.
“We hope it’s going to be a great boost for not only Franklin Square but for Chinatown and the whole historic district,” said Amy Needle, president and CEO of Historic Philadelphia, Inc., which manages Franklin Square.
The PATCO station at Franklin Square closed in 1979. When renovations to the square were announced in 2006, restoring train service was a major concern.
“One of the first responses that we got was, ‘OK, great. When is the station opening?’” Needle recalled. “DRPA and PATCO had us involved in biweekly construction meetings to understand what the process was going to be.”
Among the first to experience the reopened station was New Jersey resident Will Wilson, who brought his twin three-year-old sons, Wes and Trey, and his father, Bill, on the inaugural ride. Wilson, a longtime PATCO rider, explained why this special ride was a perfect family experience:
“I've been riding PATCO since I was, I guess, a teenager to come over to the city. It's kind of a preferred way for me to avoid the traffic and parking issues and all of that," said Wilson.
"And for my little guys here, you know, they love trains. So, getting a chance to ride on the train is part of the experience.”
🎧 RELATED
Houyi Shang, the commercial corridor manager for the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, said PCDC is “cautiously optimistic” that the reopened train stop will draw more people to restaurants and businesses nearby.
“A lot of Chinatown business owners do hope it will bring more foot traffic to Chinatown,” Shang said.
The inaugural ride from Franklin Square Station, a smooth 15-minute journey to Camden City Hall and back, symbolized the new link between Philadelphia and New Jersey. PATCO estimates about 1,300 to 1,500 people a day will use Franklin Square Station.
“We don’t know how many of them will come to Chinatown,” Shang noted. “We hope we can work with Franklin Square and work with PATCO to do more promotion marketing to bring more visitors to Chinatown and benefit Chinatown businesses.”
After years of construction, residents were eager to return to the park at Franklin Square, Shang said. “It’s been pretty difficult for them to cross the streets and go around the fence to get to Franklin Square. It’s a big relief for a lot of folks and community members to finally see the construction is over.”
"Our residents and our visitors have talked about how excited they are to have the station reopened,” Needle added.
With PATCO’s link to commuters from New Jersey restored, PCDC and Historic Philadelphia plan to target visitors from the Garden State.
“You’ll be seeing some marketing, especially with the upcoming Lantern Festival,” Needle said.