Lot Next to Future Market Street Collapse Memorial Could Become Parking Lot
The southeast corner of 22nd and Market was forever changed in June 2013 after a building collapsed onto the roof of the one-story Salvation Army next door, killing six people inside. As you know, a memorial park is planned for the corner where the thrift store once stood, but little has been said about the larger lot next to it, the one owned by Richard Basciano. Philadeliquency did some serious sleuthing and what they found is rather interesting–vaguely worded permits issued last week that could see the lot turned into surface parking. Surely, you jest? Sadly, we don’t:
This is probably going to depress you, but it appears that Basciano wants to convert the lots use for 2136-38 Market Street into surface parking. He’s doing it by arguing that he’s using his other properties next door for parking, so why not this one as well?
Talk about a punch in the gut.
Artist Barbara Fox was chosen to design the sculpture inside the memorial park back in October. While initial concepts call for house structures with 7 colored windows–one for each of the deceased and another for those injured–Fox tells Liz Spikol in the January issue of Philadelphia Magazine that the design is “in an entire state of flux in a really energetic and cool way.”
The news that the adjacent lot could become a surface parking lot is discouraging to say the least. Will it happen or are there bigger plans in the works? Please tell us it’s the latter.
• Market Street Collapse Lot To Become Surface Parking? [Philadelinquency]
