LOVE Park(ing) garage close to being sold

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 A Philadelphia City Council committee has voted to sell the parking garage beneath Love Park. (Nathaniel Hamilton/For Newsworks)

A Philadelphia City Council committee has voted to sell the parking garage beneath Love Park. (Nathaniel Hamilton/For Newsworks)

The parking garage beneath Love Park is almost ready to be sold.   City Council committee voted in favor of the deal.

While the committee approved selling the crumbling underground garage for $29 million, Councilman Mark Squilla still had questions. He asked Finance Director Rebecca Rhynhart where city vehicles would move to once the facility is sold.

“We’ll have to go through a process to relocate the cars,” Rhynhart said.

Squilla replied, “Well have to put them somewhere.”

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“We’ll have to do that, over the next two or three months we’ll figure that out,” she responded, without detailing where they would go.

Carl Primavera, attorney for the purchasing company Interpark, said his client has a lot of experience in Philadelphia and will spend millions of dollars refurbishing the facility, including making it wheelchair accessible.  There are elevators in the garage, but they have not worked for a long time.  Visitors in wheelchairs now have to roll up and down the same ramps cars parking in the garage use to enter and exit.

“They are going to bring in technology for the garage [Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades], bathrooms that work, infrastructure.  They are going to spend a lot of money because of what is going to happen at the surface because it’s going to be an enjoyable place and feel safe,” Primavera said.

Makeover plans for LOVE Park above are still being worked out, but will likely include a restaurant.

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