Empty Lot of the Week-- December 1st

University City Science Center Lots

Northeast and Southwest corners of 38th and Market Streets

That's a lot of fucking parking.

                     This is one of those lots that you hope and pray will go away and they never fucking do. Two gigantic-ass parking lots catercorner from each other... the Northeast and Southwest corners of 38th and Market. They stand in opposition to each others endurance. These motherfuckers have been buildingless for decades... and even as nearby long-term empty lots have managed to get built on over those years, these motherfuckers just keep on keepin' on.
                     No special history about these asphalt oceans... one side had some small commercial buildings and rowhomes, the other had a lumberyard.

Northeast Corner 1948.

Southwest corner in the same year. Much better than an empty lot.

                 
                 The University City Science Center, a massive science office park complex, has owned the southwest lot since 1983 and the northeast lot since 2000. The Science Center intends to put big-ass buildings on these lots, but need some big science-related companies to move in and do it. These huge lots are both Keystone Opportunity Zones and Keystone Innovation Zones. Anyone who wants to build on them can do it MOTHERFUCKING TAX FREE and they are zoned for mucho mucho square footage. Any scientists reading this? Move your shit here!!!
                In 2004, a University City Science Center Master Plan was developed by the urban planning firm Jerde that would turn the office complex into an exciting mixed-use megaplex. Some of the buildings in the plan did actually end up getting built, but not as cool-looking as they were in the renderings.

Wow, look at all that shit. The lots in question would be covered by those yellow buildings in the upper left.

                     The southwest lot was going to become the residential portion of the center, two symmetrical towers rising from 38th and Market.

Dead-ass Proposal

                   Those plans are as dead as a dead dog's dick. The current renderings for what MIGHT go in those corners someday look like this:

Not quite as interesting.

                    The Science Center is a pretty great thing to have in this city, I wish some science-related company with balls of kryptonite would get off their asses and take the risk on these tax-free-ass superlots. It would sure perk things up in this location. Make it so!!!!