The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has just announced the recipients of their Coastal Zone Management Grants which go to organizations who work to preserve and protect coastal zones along Lake Erie and the Delaware Estuary. The City of Philadelphia is one of those recipients and its $75,000 award will go to improvements for the riverfront and coastal areas  around the intersection of Race Street and Columbus Boulevard, specifically Piers 9, 11 (the Race Street Pier park), and the former Philadelphia Water Department building.

This is great news for the work happening in that area! A full press release and list of recipients can be found here.

The second public meeting for the Plan Central Delaware master planning project has been rescheduled for OCTOBER 19, 2010, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at Festival Pier (Columbus Blvd. at Spring Garden). Please update your calendars and we’ll see you there!

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).

While the construction of the new park at Pier 53 continues, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, along with DRWC and other sponsors, is hosting a special screening of Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working with Time. The screening will take place at Jefferson Square Park and 4th and Washington Ave on Thursday, August 26 at 8pm. This event is FREE and open to everyone; popcorn will be provided so just bring a blanket. If you are already familiar with Andy Goldsworthy’s work, here is your chance to learn more about his sculpture process and if you have not yet seen his work, you don’t want to miss this chance to learn more!

Just one of many gorgeous views park visitors will have of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge

Construction and bid documents have been finalized for the Race Street Pier and the bid process began today. We hosted a bid meeting for prospective contractors and many well-qualified contractors attended. The deadline for bid submissions is 9/1/10 and we will award the bid soon after. Construction is set to begin this fall so it’s an exciting time for the Race Street Pier park and the entire waterfront. Details about the bid process can be found here.

Here are a few photographs taken earlier today. Pier substructure work continues as the pier is prepared for topside construction.

A view from Race Street Pier looking west with Center City visible in the background.

One of the two wharf drops that will be incorporated into the park. Not visible is the diver underneath the pier doing substructure work.