Inquirer Editorial: Temple's smart plan

The recent housing boom within sight lines of Temple University is a contradiction to the recession's impact on the construction industry in other parts of Philadelphia.

But with the rapid addition of new and reconstructed housing primarily for students have come the typical town-and-gown issues, including late-night partying and all-day parking shortages.

That's not to mention the tension that comes when a traditionally residential community finds itself changing to a collection of foreboding academic and other institutional buildings that make nonstudents feel unwelcome.

Temple president Anne Weaver Hart took that into consideration as she and her staff plotted the Temple 20/20 expansion plan. They consulted with neighborhood groups and came up with a master plan that won't grow Temple's already sizable footprint.

Temple will instead raze buildings, clear land, and build on its existing property. Pearson and McGonigle Halls will be renovated. A new library and a new architecture building will be built.

But the most dramatic result of the construction program will be a $148 million residence hall and retail complex on the east side of Broad Street between Cecil B. Moore Avenue and Oxford Street.

Hart noted in a presentation to the Inquirer Editorial Board that the complex, when finished, should provide more than 100 jobs for nearby residents. That's a good way for an institution to be seen as part of a community, and not a foreign invader. Temple's plans for a parking garage to ease traffic congestion will also help.

It's important, too, for the university to continue the relationships with the community that have brought it to this point.

City Councilman Darrell L. Clarke has done well in representing neighborhood residents trying to cope with Temple's transition from a commuter campus to a largely residential one. He and Hart must continue to work hard to achieve a community where students and other residents of the area feel safe and at home.