If you’ve driven near Lemon Hill or the Philadelphia Zoo along Girard Avenue in recent past months during rush hour, or tried to come down Girard towards I-76 from points west at that time, then you likely got caught in some terrific traffic. But the these problems should be greatly reduced moving forward because of the now-completed improvements to the Zoo, Girard Avenue and 34th Street. Now, the intersection that houses the Zoo at 34th & Girard looks a whole lot nicer.

We love the zoo

The Centennial District Intermodal Transportation Center Project started last year and included improvements of amenities like increased signage, improved lighting, decorative landscaping and streetscaping, and additional greenery. It also included the construction of a $24M 693-space parking garage just west of 34th & Girard, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. Additional office space at this site is a future option.

The new garage

Site plan for Centennial District

Perhaps it is this kind of revitalization project that will be the first lily pad towards navigating the waters of rebuilding Girard Avenue west of the Schuylkill. So many of the three-story Victorian homes are in shambles. 34th Street itself can be considered a gateway from West River Drive to University City. The same can be said if you’re driving through Belmont Park, or along the Concourse, or coming from the Mann Music Center back towards Brewerytown or Fairmount. The drive from the Mann Center to the Art Museum along the Concourse and over the Schuylkill along Girard is certainly a charming one.

A revitalized Girard Avenue could emphasize the area’s qualities, like its closeness to the river and the Belmont Plateau. Ah, perhaps it’s wishful thinking to imagine a western end of Girard Avenue similar to Baltimore Avenue near Cedar Park in West Philly, but there is public transportation in the 15 trolley that runs along Girard, and close proximity to Brewerytown, a neighborhood on the come. It’d probably take a University’s worth of reinvestment, but who knows?

One thing is for sure, it’s great to see a facelift for the zoo. But those poor polar bears have got to be pretty hot these days. Kind of wish they’d invite us in for a swim.

–Lou Mancinelli