Spotted: CHOP demolitions, expansions underway

Our eyes are ever peeled for interesting sights and sites. We spotted progress on two CHOP projects this week:

CHOP on the Schuylkill

At the base of the South Street Bridge, a cloud of dust is rising. The dust is a sign that the long-debated Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) expansion on the east side of the Schuylkill is underway, starting with the demolition of the former JFK Vocational School building. Heavy equipment is on top of the old school mechanically wrecking the building, misters are below trying to tamp down the dust. The demolition work is scheduled to continue well into November.

 

CHOP on South Broad

Meanwhile on South Broad Street at Morris, CHOP is nearly done clearing the remains of the South Philadelphia Branch Library, city health center, and DiSilvestro Rec to make way for construction of a new Community Health and Literacy Center. The project, designed by VSBA, includes a building on South Broad with new library facilities on the ground floor, topped with co-located city health center and CHOP primary care offices. To the rear of the block, along 15th street, will be a rebuilt DiSilvestro Rec with a playground and basketball court. The South Philadelphia Library is one of five neighborhood libraries to receive a portion of the recent $25 million grant from the William Penn Foundation, to revamp with an emphasis on health literacy and services for new Americans. Project construction is expected to be complete late next year.

See something cool? Send along a picture via email, Twitter @EOTSPhilly, Instagram @planphilly, or to our Flickr group.

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