Urban Led Team to Manage Dilworth Plaza Renovations

Philadelphia’s Center City District has selected the Urban Engineers Team to manage the design of the Dilworth Plaza renovation.  Constructed in the 1970s, the large public plaza is adjacent to Philadelphia’s City Hall.

The Urban Design Team includes Kieran Timberlake Associates as lead architect and the Olin Partnership as landscape architects. Urban is also providing MEP and civil design services.

The changes are intended to create a dramatic improvement to public transportation access. Working with SEPTA’s City Hall Station project team, the renovation will include new fare lines to the 15th Street and City Hall stations, and ADA access to those stations, as well as to the nearby subway surface line. The concept also includes removal of all the grade changes caused by walls and steps to create an ADA-accessible expanse of lawn, a water feature, and a café. The finished plaza will help celebrate City Hall and become a focal point for people moving between the expanded Convention Center and the array of restaurants and hotels in the vicinity of City Hall.

The schematic design for the project has been completed and preliminary approvals from City agencies are in progress. Once funding has been completed, the project will take about a year to design with construction taking another two years.