PATCO’s ‘ghost’ station returns | Morning Newsletter
And what we’re watching for at Pennsylvania Society
The Morning Newsletter
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Welcome to December and Happy Friday. Temps will reach the high 40s.
No passengers or trains have used PATCO’s Franklin Square Station since 1979 when it was closed and sealed because of the lack of riders.
Over the decades, it has mostly sat in the dark. A coat of grime has accumulated over the 1930s green and white tiles that spell out its name.
But these days, there are signs of life. Our lead story shows a glimpse into what the restoration project looks like.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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It required multiple power washings and solvents to get the Depression-era tiles that line the platform clean. It takes a lot to get rid of decades of grime.
Notable quote: “I had electricians coming out from underground looking like coal miners, covered in soot,” said senior project manager Ken Hanson of HNTB, recalling the original walls when work began in the summer of 2022.
The $30 million restoration project to bring PATCO’s Franklin Square station back to life is coming along. A steel frame recently rose at the corner of North Seventh and Race Streets in Philadelphia for the station’s headhouse.
When everything is done, it’s scheduled to open in late summer next year and is expected to draw 1,300 to 1,500 daily riders.
Continue reading to learn more about what it takes to bring a subway station back to life.
This is the weekend of the ritzy conclave of people, power, and politics assembling in Manhattan for Pennsylvania Society.
Cherelle Parker will be in the spotlight as the incoming mayor of Philadelphia. It’ll be the first time for Gov. Josh Shapiro in his current role.
Some context: The event started in the 19th century as a gathering for state politicians to mingle with the deep pockets that ran railroads, coal mines, and steel mills. These days, it’s a lot of cocktail parties and campaign fundraisers, capped with a formal dinner on Saturday.
Pay attention: With the general election behind us, all eyes are on 2024 and the U.S Senate race between Bob Casey and David McCormick. Both have fundraisers this weekend. There’s also a packed field for attorney general with three Republicans and five Democrats vying for the office.
Read on for more of what we’re looking out for this weekend.
What you should know today
Philadelphia officials said Thursday they will cut ties for three years with a contractor alleged to have formed a Black-owned shell company to circumvent the city’s antidiscrimination policies.
A prisoner escaped Thursday afternoon from Philadelphia’s Industrial Correctional Center. Gino Hagenkotter, 34, is the fourth person to break out of a city jail this year.
University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill on Thursday released a strategic plan for the institution while still facing intense criticism over its handling of antisemitism complaints and lack of support for Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab students and faculty.
A Philly man will be freed from prison after 27 years after prosecutors dropped all charges against him Thursday. Eddie Ramirez’s 1997 conviction was overturned for a number of reasons including exculpatory DNA evidence, undisclosed police notes from the case file, and disavowed witness testimony.
The Sixers expect the injured Kelly Oubre Jr. to return sometime next week.
We have a Q&A with the creators of the historic interactive project, The 1838 Black Metropolis, that walks readers through Black life in Antebellum Philadelphia. The website is filled with primary sources, maps, and a walking tour series on the community of the nearly 20,000 Black people living in the city at the time.
Starting on Monday, a section of the Schuylkill River Trail under the Martin Luther King Drive Bridge will be closed to pedestrians and cyclists through the end of the year.
🧠 Trivia time
According to Spotify Wrapped, who was the top streamed artist in Philadelphia this year?
A) Drake
B) Taylor Swift
C) SZA
D) Bad Bunny
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🦅 Watching: The viral clip of a wedding party recreating the Brotherly Shove as its group entrance.
💭 Wondering: If GOP Rep. George Santos will survive a third expulsion effort? He refuses to resign.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Their older fans crashed AARP’s website
ELI SHELTON STRONG
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to James Bradley, who correctly guessed Thursday’s answer: Kelce Brothers.
Photo of the day
Stay bundled up like the pedestrian pictured above. Have a good weekend and stay warm. Paola will be back with a recap of weekend news on Sunday.