There are 7 miles of blighted waterfront property just east of our beloved center city Philadelphia. On Thursday, hundreds of citizens and advocates joined together at the Independence Seaport Museum on Penn’s Landing to listen to speakers on the redevelopment of this property including representatives from Penn Praxis, the Next Great City, the Central Delaware Advocacy Group, the PA Horticultural Society, the Del. Valley Planning Commission, Andy Altman, Frank DiCicco, and Mayor Michael Nutter (If you are reading this mayor, I was the one giving you the “standing o”).
10 Action Plan For The Waterfront
Our representatives have been working together and set out a 10 Action Plan in order for us as a city to realize this new shared vision of a beautiful, usable, people friendly, wildlife friendly, sustainable, accessible waterfront that will replace the run down, industrial looking, littered, squandered land that is now at the water’s edge.
The actions are as follows:
1. Appoint an open, accountable, effective waterfront manager
2. Adopt clear zoning, a detailed master plan and a coordinated regulatory policy
3. Build a continuous, 7-mile trail along the waterfront
4. Create new parks and improve the 2 existing parks
5. Guarantee public access to the riverfront and make it easier for residents to walk and bike to the waterfront
6. Extend transit to the river
7. Extend key streets to the river (Tasker, Reed, Pier 70 Blvd, Washington, Brown, Shackamaxon, Beach, and Lehigh)
8. Manage traffic and parking in the area
9. Create a 100 foot greenway along the water’s edge
10.Create a natural river’s edge and restore habitat
Execution of Philadelphia’s Delaware Waterfront Plan
The best part about this plan is that people are already working on execution- especially Mayor Nutter. If I have learned anything about the man, it’s that he sticks to his word and makes the changes he proposes. He stated in that auditorium that this is not a plan that will be put upon the shelf and forgotten about. He pledged to take this proposal out of the planning phase and into the execution phase- effective immediately. One of the highlights to a lot of attendees was his acknowledgement that the casino’s do not fit into this plan, but the truth is that we may not be able to stop them from building….but we must not let them come in the way of the total vision.
Here’s a look at Mayor Nutter’s speech on Brightcove.com:
What Can We Take From All This Delaware Waterfront Planning?
I must take the opportunity now to say, it’s time to purchase property near the waterfront NOW. This plan will happen, and those property values will continue to soar as the plan nears completion.
Go to my website www.livegreeninphilly.com to look at properties up an down Delaware Avenue / Columbus BLVD and other spot near the water, as well as all other real estate in Philly.
Rachel Lipton
REALTOR, Certified EcoBroker
RE/MAX City Space
direct: 215-625-7940
cell: 215-868-5972
email: rlipton@phillycityspace.com
website: www.livegreeninphilly.com
