Traction…. A progress report on the revitalization of the City of Coatesville A
t long last, after more than a decade of planning, crews are at work developing the new Coatesville Train Station. The new station will be located at Fourth Avenue and Fleetwood Street, just one block east of the existing historic Amtrak station which has served the Coatesville community since 1868. The historic building has been closed for more than 25 years. The original station at Third Avenue sits on a curve of track that prevents construction of ADA-accessible platforms, which required the change in location for the new station. Construction trailers were delivered to the site in January following a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Governor Tom Wolf. The $65 million price tag includes design, station construction, trackwork improvements, and streetscape modifications. Fleetwood Street will be reconfigured to improve access to the station and feature a bus stop and drop-off areas. The new, accessible station will feature seating and rain canopies, elevators, bike racks, security cameras, a public address system, and areas for multi-modal connections.
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The bridge that takes Fourth Avenue under the railroad will be closed permanently to vehicular traffic and converted to a pedestrian walkway providing access to the westbound tracks. Adjacent to the new station, just south of Fleetwood Street is space for commercial and retail development. A team of City stakeholders is working to secure capital to construct a 320-car parking garage on the site. “Work is being led by PennDOT with support from Chester County, the City of Coatesville, and the Coatesville Redevelopment Authority and additional funding by the Federal Transit Administration. Through the partnership, contractor Wickersham is hiring local workers. Michael Baker is the project manager and is led by Patrick Gardener.” -Plan the Keystone.com
news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——
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