Dating back more than 50 years, Temple has been acquiring property near Main Campus, particularly on North Broad Street. While much of that area has been developed in recent years with the construction of the Liacouras Center and the renovation of Pearson and McGonigle halls, the 1500 block — most of which was acquired during the last couple of years — has not yet been the recipient of major alterations.
Facilities officials have said that there is a plan to look at the university’s holdings on Broad Street during the next year to decide what to do with its vast array of properties. While it’s encouraging that the university is going to decide what to do with its holdings, plans should have been in place when the properties were acquired.
Instead, some properties like 1524 N. Broad St., which used to house Temple Garden, sit vacant. The university needs to determine what it can do to utilize such holdings, or sell them if they are not being used.
At least one plan was announced publicly on the Facilities Management website to create an Honors College on the site of the Burk Mansion at 1500 N. Broad St. But that plan — which still is on the website — seems to have fallen through.
The Temple News applauds the university’s work in the management of its new retail space created by the renovations of Pearson and McGonigle halls, Morgan Hall and the parking garage at 10th Street and Montgomery Avenue. By hiring a firm to assess how it can move forward in deciding how to rent out this space, the university shows that it’s committed to making the most out of its new properties.
But the university’s lackadaisical attitude toward the 1500 block properties is troubling.
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