For updates about waterfront planning and development information 

DELAWARE RIVER WATERFRONT CORPORATION
ANNOUNCES TREE FUNDING CAMPAIGN FOR THE NEW RACE STREET PIER   

The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) has a unique opportunity to plant mature trees on the Race Street Pier, a new one acre park planned for the Central Delaware Waterfront.  DRWC has the opportunity to acquire trees that were planted 8 years ago for the Memorial Park at the World Trade Center site for the new waterfront park. 

The Race Street Pier, located on Columbus Boulevard at the foot of Race Street, is one of the first public spaces to be designed and built by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation and is an Early Action project as part of the Civic Vision for the Central Delaware Riverfront.   

Unlike the standard 4 inch caliper trees that were originally budgeted for the park which would take years to mature, the new trees are much larger, 8 inch caliper, and are nearly fully grown which will provide a dramatic addition to this already exciting project.  The trees will be planted in early spring 2011 in time for the opening of the park in late spring 2011.  

DRWC is seeking $2,500 donations to sponsor the additional cost of each of the 37 trees needed for the park.  Each tree donor will be recognized in the paving at the base of each sponsored tree.  Tree donations are tax deductible. 

CLICK HERE to download a donation brochure

The DRWC board will serve as the fundraising committee for the Race Street Pier Tree Fund.  The effort is being chaired by DRWC board member Avi D. Eden. 

The Race Street Pier project is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the City of Philadelphia, the William Penn Foundation and by a challenge grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts.

"With the help of all of our civic and funding partners and the creativity of our landscape architectural firm Field Operations, DRWC will transform the Race Street Pier into a landmark public space that will set a new standard of excellence in design along the Central Delaware Waterfront," said Tom Corcoran, president of DRWC.

The physical design of the pier is split into two levels – an upper level with a grand sky promenade and a lower level for gathering and passive recreation.  A dramatic ramp rises along the north face alongside the bridge, dramatizing the sense of arriving in the space of the river.  A lower terrace supports a multi-purpose lawn and generous seating terrace with spectacular river views.  The new trees will play a dramatic role in this exciting design. 

Construction and bidding documents for the Race Street Pier will be released in early August.  DRWC will select a construction firm in early September, and it is anticipated that construction will begin shortly after. The project is scheduled for completion and a grand opening to the public in spring of 2011 and will serve as an early example of high-quality open space along the Central Delaware River Waterfront.

UPDATE on the Master Plan for the Central Delaware
The consulting team has just completed the first phase of the master planning process which focuses on data gathering and site analysis. In this phase they pored over numerous previous planning documents and held extensive stakeholder meetings to learn about all of the different work that has been ongoing on the waterfront. The consultants have made several observations and formed some initial conclusions from this first phase of work:

There is a great opportunity to achieve a revitalized waterfront that is unique and authentic to Philadelphia, reflecting the character and energy of the adjacent neighborhoods.

The 6 miles of waterfront (close to 1200 acres) is large enough to accommodate many diverse uses, if properly done through comprehensive planning and meaningful inclusion of all of the stakeholders. There is plenty of space for a strong port, world-class parks, new private investment (residential, commercial, and entertainment), and light industry.

The waterfront will be an asset not only to the adjacent neighborhoods, but for the whole city and region. In the past the industry on the Delaware waterfront was the economic generator for the city. As industry declined and left vacant, sometimes contaminated land behind, the waterfront became an economic drain on the city. The waterfront can again become an economic generator for the city and region.

 As an asset for the whole region, the master plan will include recommendations for wealth-building across a diverse set of stakeholders. The neighborhoods are important stakeholders, but the consulting team is including city-wide diverse stakeholders as well as well as property owners and the port. The master plan will represent a diverse set of values that will be fully incorporated into the plan so that at the end all of the stakeholders will champion and implement the projects that will transform the waterfront.

Development of the waterfront will be a long-term project (decades). In the short term, the master plan will identify “nodes” that should be developed by focusing public investment on these areas, which will then promote private investment in the nodes. Long-term, development can fill in between the nodes. All of this work will be phased in over the long-term.

Analysis has informed us of appropriate short-term development. There are opportunities for dense, mid-rise (6-8 stories) developments in appropriate locations; this type of development also supports the goal of a uniquely Philly model which is dense, but more neighborhood-scale. In the short-term the waterfront will not support high-rise condo development.

 One of the greatest barriers to waterfront access is I-95. The Civic Vision presented the option of burying the highway to provide better access. The federal economic and political climate for funding large-scale infrastructure projects has changed and there is little or no support for a project such as burying portions of the interstate. However the project team will be researching other aggressive treatments of underpasses. An early discovery is that there are an astonishingly large number of streets—47—that pass over or under I-95. Therefore I-95 is much more porous than any of us originally thought and we can re-build neighborhood connections in creative ways.

One of the things that can make the waterfront unique to Philly is the opportunity to enhance and build upon our important cultural and historical resources. In addition to contributing the overall character of the waterfront, these resources can promote economic development through cultural tourism.

The ecological resources on the river are another important asset. There is an opportunity to create a 21st-century waterfront composed of development sites that contain wetlands and/or stormwater management in addition to development and recreational amenities. 

There is a great opportunity to promote a “Two Cities One Waterfront” idea that would utilize existing tourism assets from both Camden and Philadelphia.

In the next phase of the planning, the consultants will be developing concept plans and alternatives for the waterfront. These will be presented at a public meeting in September. After receiving input from the public and all other stakeholders, the consulting team will synthesize the work into final recommendations and a presentation document. The final plan will be unveiled in January or February of 2011.  

ABOUT DRWC
Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) is a nonprofit corporation organized exclusively for the benefit of the City of Philadelphia and its citizens. DRWC acts as the steward of the Delaware River waterfront to provide a benefit to all of the citizens and visitors of the City.

The fundamental purpose of DRWC is to design, develop and manage the central Delaware River waterfront in Philadelphia between Oregon and Allegheny Avenues. DRWC intends to transform the central Delaware River waterfront into a vibrant destination location for recreational, cultural, and commercial activities for the residents and visitors of Philadelphia. DRWC will serve as a catalyst for high quality investment in public parks, trails, maritime, residential, retail, hotel and other improvements that create a vibrant amenity, extending Philadelphia to the river’s edge.

DRWC is open, transparent and accountable in connection with its operations and activities with respect to the waterfront. Through the judicious use of financing, land acquisition and development capabilities, the Corporation will work cooperatively with city, state and federal agencies to ensure the realization of the City’s vision for the central Delaware River.