SEPTA's board of directors voted on Thursday to move forward with the acquisition of 70 sites to make way for its proposed King of Prussia Rail Line project, the Philadelphia Business Journal reports.
The 70 sites are located on or around the rail line's proposed path and would allow the transportation agency to build out the rail line itself, as well as associated train stations and parking facilities. The project is estimated to cost $2 billion.
The next step in the process includes appraising the properties, determining fair market value and making offers for the land.
In a Final Environmental Impact Statement completed in January 2021, SEPTA said that 54 partial parcels and 13 full parcels were targets for permanent acquisition. Of those, nine were categorized as residential, 44 as commercial and 14 as "other."
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
Anna Hooven, program director for King of Prussia Rail, said that none of the 70 sites currently being targeted are residential properties. She added that there were some changes to the properties outlined in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, but the majority stayed the same.
The transportation agency hasn't yet disclosed the 70 properties it is looking to acquire. Hooven said that SEPTA has been in discussions with many of the landowners already but still has some remaining property owners on the list that it wants to meet with before releasing a comprehensive list.
Check out PBJ.com's full article for how the decade-long project found its footing, and where the five King of Prussia Rail Line stations are slated to be anchored in.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Stay in the know on all things business with the Philadelphia Business Journal.
