Amtrak honored with architecture award for 30th Street Station plan

Amtrak's district plan for its 30th Street Station in Philadelphia has received the 2017 Institute Honor Award for regional and urban design from the American Institute of Architects.

The district plan was selected for the award from more than 500 submissions around the world, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

"We are enthusiastically moving forward on implementation, to take this inspiring vision and realize its great promise to transform the 30th Street Station District into Philadelphia's next great neighborhood," said Natalie Shieh, project director.

Amtrak's partners on plan include Brandywine Realty Trust, Drexel University, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.

The plan is a "comprehensive vision" for the area surrounding station in the year 2050 and beyond. In the near term, Amtrak and its partners are advancing strategic projects around the station's four sides to build a foundation for growth and development.

In November 2016, Amtrak issued a request for proposals to lease and development a 32,500-square-foot tract of land and associated air rights adjacent to the station.

The district plan envisions 40 acres of open space and 18 million square feet of new development, including a new mixed-use neighborhood anchoring the district atop 88 acres of rail yards along the western bank of the Schuylkill River.