East of Broad, the Vine Street Expressway is a concrete river disrespectfully detaching Callowhill from Chinatown and very few strides have been made to improve the relationship between these two neighborhoods. But the truth is this relationship has always been poor. This post industrial corridor has been the city’s dumping ground for necessary evils.
Viaducts, highway chasms, and rail tunnels keep the logistics of development tricky. Narrow lots along Vine Street’s southern lane don’t offer the land needed for high volume urban projects, and the streetscape isn’t pleasant enough for row homes. Capping the expressway and converting it into a park might change this, but the cash isn’t there to take that risk.
