Delaware County looks at proposal for Orange Street lot

After years of inactivity, Delaware County Council got a preliminary look at a concept for the Orange Street lot, after two buildings and a garage needed to be demolished there almost four years ago.

Danielle Floyd, the county’s public works director, gave council a presentation that showed the fenced-in lot transforming into an 88-space lot, with electrical vehicle charging stations and handicapped spaces.

“The county has been exploring the highest and best use for the Orange Street site since 2016,” she explained.

In March 2016, council previously approved a $176,000 contract with the architectural firm, Joseph Jingoli & Son Inc. to plan and pre-design a mixeduse office and garage site on the 1.7-acre space.

Floyd explained that the project was paused due to concern over costs and the transition in council leadership.

On July 27, 2018, a 48-feetlong concrete panel separated from its welds on the four-story parking garage ramp, causing the garage and the adjacent Sweeney and Toal buildings to be closed. The next day, the site was condemned.

In August 2018, county council approved an emergency $3 million contract with Geppert Brothers Inc. to demolish the structures on the site, fill it with crushed stone and surround the site with protective fencing.

The garage had held 409 parking spaces for jurors and employees, who have had to be redirected elsewhere. Jurors have been relegated to park in the county garage underneath the Courthouse and Government Center with a few dozen spaces at Broomall’s Lake Country Club on Third Street in the borough.

Having formerly been housed in the Sweeney and Toal buildings, the 152 employees in the Planning Department, Park Police, Community Services and Public Defender’s offices also had to be relocated to various locations throughout the county.

Last November, county staff began conversations with Media borough about creating a surface lot on the site to increase the county’s capacity to provide parking for staff, jurors and residents accessing county services, according to Floyd.

She said a conceptual plan was shared with Media Borough Council in February. It showed the 88 spaces on a surface lot with the EV charging stations and handicapped accessible spaces.

Floyd said her department is working with USA Architects to finalize a concept plan, which would allow for a cost estimate for the surface lot.

She added that should the surface lot concept be pursued, the county would have to file a reverse subdivision application with the borough of Media to make the lot an accessory use to the main courthouse complex.

There is no timeline for the project yet.

During the county budget process last year, $500,000 was earmarked to create a shortterm replacement for the Orange Street garage with an anticipation of spending $3.4 million in 2023 towards a longer term solution.

“I guess I’m a little alarmed that we’re going to go through a reverse subdivision on this property to put in a temporary use,” County Councilwoman Christine Reuther said. “We could be spending millions of dollars on a temporary use that’s only going to last for five years.”

She asked if there was a way to either accelerate the permanent use or to come up with an alternative use that doesn’t require a reverse subdivision.

Floyd said the pressing issue was the priority to address the county’s need for parking.

“We lost a lot more than 88 spots when that parking garage came down and if parking is really the thing we’re trying to solve here, why aren’t we trying to solve for that long-term?” Reuther asked. “Why don’t we just bite the bullet and do the planning for a longer term solution … If we’re going to spend millions of dollars for a 5-year solution, I can’t go there.”

The councilwoman emphasized her gratitude to have this conversation and highlighted she wasn’t criticizing the plan.

Floyd said the plan was brought before council for guidance on how to best move forward.

“This has been festering for a long time,” county Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer said. “It’s not an attractive thing to have in the community. The community needs the parking too. It’s not just us.”

She said this concept was a good place to start.