A BRO reader has passed along this article in Urbanize.LA that details Glendale’s proposed freeway cap park (Space 134). While it’s a fascinating read about a fantastic project that would place a park over a highway, a more interesting aspect of the proposal is the price tag associated with the development.
From the BRO reader:
The article shows some renderings for a $150 million plan to cap a 0.7 mile stretch of highway over a trenched highway. Why is it that the plan for a park cap (Humboldt Parkway Cap) over only the 0.5 mile long segment of the 33 from West Ferry to the Science Museum is estimated at $500 million (only 6 traffic lanes wide) while the one in Glendale is 0.2 miles longer and spans 10 lanes of traffic? Something doesn’t seem to add up with the Buffalo estimate being $350 million more, especially since California environmental process for projects is more expensive then NY in most cases.
Aside from the financial disparity, Buffalonians should take a look at all of the killer amenities that are being considered for the park land – there’s a lot more going into the project than simply creating green space (concert space, restaurant, walking trails, gardens, dog park, public art, etc). Certainly something to consider.