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Yet another wrinkle over control
The city of Philadelphia has already empowered itself to condemn the railroad property, but it has not yet done so. Instead, it is clearing the legal path.
That strategy includes a case before the federal Surface Transportation Board, filed in March 2024, where the city is asking the federal board to declare the railroad abandoned, which would remove its protections against municipal condemnation.
Right now, the land is protected under old railroad laws, even though the tracks have been removed and it’s not connected to rail lines on either end.
Reading International has fought that federal agency case so far. It argues that the railroad is not abandoned but simply discontinued and therefore, the protections should stay in place.
At one point, Reading International told investors in public filings that it was interested in a public-private partnership, but wanted to sell the land for $50 million.
“We are evaluating whether a dedicated public park is the highest and best use of the Reading Viaduct,” Reading International told investors. “We are in the process of determining the best use, which may include a mixed-use development featuring residential, retail and entertainment uses. We believe a park and pedestrian corridor would be complementary to the overall development of our property.”
The negotiations between the Center City District and Reading International are going at a “snail’s pace,” Levy said. The goal is to get the construction documents completed so when the parties go back to the table there’s a concrete plan with expected costs and community and foundation support.
“It won’t just be a set of beautiful renderings. It will be a fully designed park where we actually know the costs,” he said.