Public Meeting: Future of Penn's Landing Public Space and Land Development

I’m writing to pass along the below invitation to attend a public meeting where the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation will share its initial plans for park space and development of Penn’s Landing.  As the centerpiece of the six miles of the Central Delaware River waterfront, Penn’s Landing represents an opportunity to create well-designed public spaces and high-quality private development which connect the city to the river, provide meaningful public access, and a civic gathering space worthy of the site’s prominence and historic import.  As you likely know, PennPraxis worked with the public and community leaders to create A Civic Vision for the Central Delaware in 2007, and since then, the waterfront has seen improvements in the form of a reformed waterfront management corporation, a new zoning overlay, the creation of  the Race Street Pier and Washington Avenue Green and the first segments of a bike and pedestrian trail. We know that civic input greatly enhances any planning process and the final plan will be improved through your participation.   We encourage you to attend tomorrow and make your voice heard.  Event details are below, and you can register to attend here: http://pennslanding.eventbrite.com.  Thanks for considering this, and hope to see you at an upcoming event,

Sincerely,
Harris Steinberg, FAIA
Executive Director, PennPraxis
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WHEN:   TOMORROW, October 15, 2013, 7:00pm
WHERE:  Festival Pier, 601 N. Columbus Boulevard (just south of Spring Garden Street)
WHAT:  The Delaware River Waterfront Corp (DRWC) will host a public meeting to share initial concepts for public space and development plans for Penn’s Landing, as set forth in the Master Plan for the Central Delaware.
The presentation will include preliminary proposals for the following improvements:      

·   A cap over I-95 and Columbus Boulevard between Walnut Street and Chestnut Street to allow for the creation of network of park spaces from Front Street to the river’s edge;

·   Renewed public spaces ringing the Penn’s Landing Marina;

·   A new bridge crossing Columbus Boulevard at South Street; and

·   Conceptual site plans for development on Penn’s Landing at the Market Street site (between Columbus Boulevard and the Delaware River and Market Street and Chestnut Street) and around the Marina (between Walnut Street and South Street and Columbus Boulevard and the Delaware River).

Public questions and comments will be gathered and incorporated into the final development plan and implementation strategy to be shared at a public meeting in January 2014.

Attendees are asked to register in advance for the event at http://pennslanding.eventbrite.com.

PROGRAM:  

·   Welcome, Thomas Corcoran, President, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation

·   Remarks on context from Alan Greenberger, Deputy Mayor for Commerce and Development

·   Remarks on process from Marilyn Jordan Taylor, Dean, Penn Design and DRWC board member

·   Presentation, Mary Margaret Jones, Senior Principal, Hargreaves Associates

·   Public Q&A moderated by Marilyn Jordan Taylor

PARKING: Festival Pier parking lot, Spring Garden Street at Columbus Boulevard