Existing conditions on Race Street just east of 2nd Street

As we mentioned last week, the Race Street Pier park project is moving along and on schedule. While the park will be an amazing addition to the Delaware River waterfront, making sure people can get to the park easily is a top concern. James Corner Field Operations, the designers of the new park, are also designing improvements to Race Street between 2^nd Street and the river. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is the project manager for the connector project and Field Operations has just submitted their schematic design for both phase one of the project and a full build-out scenario.

Some areas of the connector that will be addressed are the sidewalks, landscape, and the I-95 underpasses. The schematic design calls for a bike lane, new plantings, and bike racks near the pier. In addition, a metal screen will run along the I-95 underpass and will feature lighting and graphics for wayfinding and improved safety. The design of the improvements and furnishings along the connector will complement that of the new park.

In addition to Field Operations’ work, there will also be a public art component to the project. Several artists have submitted designs and the final selection will occur this fall. The public art component of this project is exciting so stay tuned for more updates on the decision!

We expect that phase one of the Race Street Connector project will be completed in time for the Race Street Pier park’s opening in Spring 2011. It goes without saying that we are all very excited about the work done thus far and we are looking forward to the project!

A rendering of the expanded metal screen that will run the length of the I-95 underpass and a potential design for wayfinding and lighting (note: graphics may change).