PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The long-delayed expansion of Philadelphia’s Rail Park took a small step forward on Monday when a bill allowing the city to acquire needed land cleared a City Council committee.
Neighbors and parks advocates have wanted to turn the abandoned Reading Railroad Viaduct into a park for two decades. A quarter-mile section opened in 2018, but plans to extend it were blocked by Reading’s contention that — though the rail bed from 9th Street and Fairmount Avenue to the old Reading terminal had not been used since the commuter tunnel opened in 1984 — it was still a functioning train line.
Former Center City District Chief Paul Levy said it paid no taxes, skirted city codes and avoided losing the land to eminent domain until the city challenged the claim at the federal Surface Transportation Board.
“The importance of this decision at the end of September from the board is to confirm what’s obvious — they are not an operating railroad, they do not have rail rights,” Levy said.
That cleared the way for the bill to allow the city to condemn the land if it can’t negotiate a price with Reading. Community groups testified in favor, including John Chin of the Chinatown Development Corporation, which once feared the park would cause gentrification.
“Passing this legislation is a necessary first step to lift residents and small businesses from decades of blight and neglect,” Chin said.
The bill is expected to pass the full council.