Just as development continues at a faster than steady rate in neighborhoods like Fishtown and Francisville, a string of projects are planned for the waterfront, while others are already under way.

Current view of Penn's Landing

Tonight at 7pm at the Festival Pier, the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation will host a public meeting to share initial concepts for Penn’s Landing Park, which have been designed by Hargreaves Associates, the same group that did the Olympic Park in London for the 2012 games and Bayfront Park in San Fran. Central to the plan is a proposed park that gently slopes to the river, and connects Chestnut and Walnut Streets from Front and doubles as a cap over I-95 and across Columbus Boulevard. Plans also include a proposal for a new bridge over Columbus Blvd. at South Street and visions to reinvigorate the public spaces around the Penn’s Landing Marina. The selection of Hargreaves to design the Park was announced last April. Plans were in part spurred by grants DRWC received this May and the ongoing Master Plan for the Central Delaware.

Rendering of the future, from the Master Plan. Tonight we may see some changes.

They are part of a bucket full of redevelopment happening along the waterfront from north to south. In June, the first leg of the Delaware River Trail opened. Southwards, Washington Avenue Green opened two years ago. Its Phase II, Pier 53, is now on the way. And most recently, DRWC announced it received a $5M grant from the William Penn Foundation for The Pennsport Plan, which includes Pier 53 and plans for Pier 68. So it’s anything but all quiet on the waterfront. Stay tuned for an official version of the newest proposal for Penn’s Landing Park.

–Lou Mancinelli