August 04, 2025
Provided Image/Schuylkill Yards
Highline Park is a new public space in University City outside Brandywine Realty Trust's 28-story West Tower at 3025 John F. Kennedy Boulevard. The half-acre park aims to connect people with a series of murals and other works of public art in the area.
Brandywine Realty Trust, the developer behind University City's $3.5 billion Schuylkill Yards district, opened a small park last week that aims to spotlight public art recently installed in the area surrounding 30th Street Station.
Highline Park, between Market Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, sits west of the train station in a former parking lot under an old rail overpass. The 7,500-square-foot space has seating, new landscaping and a dedicated area for dogs just outside Brandywine Realty Trust's 28-story West Tower, which was recently completed at 3025 JFK Boulevard.
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The park was developed in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia and Drexel University to connect people in the neighborhood with a row of murals and other artwork.
A pedestrian walkway outside the park features 12 brightly colored murals made to celebrate West Philadelphia's educational, professional and cultural achievements. Six artists teamed up to develop a theme based off the neighborhood slogan, "West Philly is the best Philly."
Inside the park is a sculpture called "Galaxyscape Zone" made by West Philly artist Anthony Bayne Sr., who said the project is inspired by the connections between worldly nature and the universe beyond.
Highline Park is the second green space to open in Schuylkill Yards, which covers 14 acres from the Schuylkill River to the Amtrak rail yards and north to Spring Garden Street. The first park, Drexel Square, opened in 2017 at the intersection of 30th and Market streets. Plans are underway at that corner to open a long-delayed food hall on the ground floor of the renovated Bulletin Building, which was among Brandywine Realty Trust's first projects for Schuylkill Yards.
Another new mural on the south facade of 3101 Market St. — running along JFK Boulevard — features motion-activated lighting that responds to passing pedestrians. The mural was created by artist David Guinn, who completed a similar project five years ago along Sixth Street between Race and Wood streets.
Schuylkill Yards's next major project will be a 34-story tower at 3001 JFK Blvd. The timeline for that building — whose design features three segments that appear like stacked boxes — has been delayed due to economic concerns about future leasing, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported. Construction on the mixed-use project has not yet begun.
Brandywine Realty Trust CEO Jerry Sweeney said creating public green spaces remains a strong focus of Schuylkill Yards moving forward.
"We believe places are defined by the culture and people who bring them to life," Sweeney said in a statement. "That’s why public art and green spaces are essential to Schuylkill Yards."
