Centennial District Intermodal Transportation Center at the Philadelphia Zoo

The Philadelphia Zoo, America’s first zoo, is home to nearly 1,300 animals, many rare and endangered and is visited by 1.2 million visitors annually. It is situated in an urban setting bordered by Interstate 76, SEPTA regional and Amtrak rail lines, the Girard Avenue trolley line, and Fairmount Park. Heavy vehicular and pedestrian volumes, as well as the lack of convenient parking, all contributed to The Philadelphia Zoo’s accessibility challenge. Pennoni led a team of six consultants as part of the Centennial District Intermodal Transit Center project, which involved the establishment of a four-story, 225,000-sf parking garage, along with associated drive aisles, walkways, and landscaped plazas, on the south side of Girard Avenue between 34th and 38th streets. The 2.8-acre project site, formerly a surface parking lot for the Philadelphia Zoo, was developed as part of the zoo’s broader project of streetscape improvements along Girard Avenue and 34th Street and is complemented by several recently added “green street” elements.

Pennoni obtained documents and approvals from the City Zoning Department, Philadelphia Water Department, and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Pennoni provided a stormwater design including a pervious pavement plaza entrance way to protect against the damaging effects of rainwater weathering. The design established ground infiltration basins that treat water in accordance the Philadelphia Water Department quality standards. To meet parking demands, four parking decks were constructed for a total of 683 parking spaces.