When Mayor Nutter endorsed Penn Praxis'
Civic Vision for the Central Delaware waterfront plan in 2008, he sent the City Planning Commission and other organizations on some early action projects to get things rolling. Just two years later, the
Delaware River Waterfront Corporation is making the rounds with local community groups presenting renovation plans for connecting streetscapes. It turns out a waterfront proposal doesn't get very far without a way to get to the waterfront.
Delaware Avenue's dividing barrier I-95 separates Front Street from the Delaware River. But as urban decay has struck the river lands, it has also hit 47 connecting blocks, leaving pathways to the waterfront dark and uninhabitable for pedestrians. This week, DRWC held a meeting with the
Old City Civic Association, unveiling improvement plans for a new Race Street, and creating a model for the 46 other blocks in need of repair.
"These improvements make Race Street an interesting place to go, not just a normal street that you walk on to get to the waterfront," says DRWC master planner Sarah Thorp. "The Race Street Connector is a perfect pilot project. We wanted to add some things that we might be able to replicate in other areas of the waterfront."
The proposal calls for painted bike lanes, lit underpasses, and an LED-illuminated pixel array, allowing for announcements and public art. The project will lead pedestrians to the Race Street Pier, a park project slated for May 2011. Tonight, DRWC hosts their second community meeting for the Delaware River master plan. With a pathway design in place, the future looks bright on the Delaware.
"One of the reasons we chose this park is because it is pretty close to the center and to areas with a ton of foot traffic, rather than starting at the ends, which are more isolated," says Thorp. "Its location toward the center of the waterfront, we feel, is a great place to start."
Source: Sarah Thorp, DRWC
Writer: John Steele