Iconic Remnants of Failed Tram on the Philly Waterfront to Be Demolished

"The nonprofit in charge of development along central Philadelphia's Delaware River waterfront is preparing to tear down the towering cement monolith near Penn’s Landing’s Great Plaza amphitheater that was built almost two decades ago to anchor an ill-fated tramway to Camden," reports Jacob Adelman.

Delaware River Waterfront Corp. is seeking a contractor for the demolition of the tram tower, described by Adelman as "an iconic piece of unused urban infrastructure that has compared to a turn-of-the-21st-century Stonehenge."

"The tram proposal, envisioned to transport 3,000 people an hour between shopping-and-entertainment complexes on either side of the river, was indicative of the capital-intensive economic-development proposals that had been in fashion since the 1970s," according to the article.

"The request for demolition bids also comes as the agency completes engineering and design work for a four-acre park that would cap a portion of I-95 between Chestnut and Walnut Streets, just south of where he tram tower stands."