Spotted Green Space: Linear Park Planned for First Avenue in King of Prussia
Rendering courtesy of Red Balloon PR.
Well, check you out, KoP! We’ve caught word of the King of Prussia Business Improvement District joining forces with Upper Merion Township to spearhead a new Linear Park along First Avenue. According to a press release, the business park is part of their “Complete Streets” plan for First Avenue and is slated to replace a strip of under-utilized lawn areas between North Gulph and Allendale Roads in King of Prussia’s recently rezoned mixed-use district.
Public amenities to look forward to with the upcoming green space include multi-use bicycle and pedestrian paths, seating areas, benches, trash receptacles and site lighting. From a long-term view, the new space is expected to become “a venue for people to exercise, socialize, or reflect, and creates opportunities for ecological stewardship,” as LRSLAstudio principal Julie Bush put it (the firm was hired as the landscape architect). The First Avenue Linear Park is anticipated to increase access throughout the business park district, amp up pedestrian safety, and make way for potential green infrastructure opportunities, among other things.
Funding for the Linear Park is coming out of four grants (Transportation Infrastructure and Enhancement Fund, $1.2 million; Multimodal Transportation Funds, $1.2 million; the state’s Local Share Account Program, $122,480; and DVRPC’s Transportation and Community Development Initiative, $88,000), which total to $2.61 million, a sum going to the design and construction of the park.
Following this stage of the park development, the “Complete Streets” vision will move forward with subsequent phases. Per the press release:
- Continuation of the Linear Park along the balance of First Avenue as funding becomes available
- A Linear Park along Moore Road
- Road Diet adding bike lanes and medians along First Avenue. The project is fully funded and construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2016.
- King of Prussia Rail Extension providing direct access with one or two station stops forthe Norristown High Speed Line in the business park
You can check out other KOP District projects here.
