About two years ago, an asphalt lot on the Delaware, just south of Washington Avenue, was transformed into Washington Avenue Green. At the time, we drew a contrast between this park and the much costlier Race Street Pier about a mile to the north, suggesting that Washington Avenue Green proved that utilitarian public space could be created without spending big bucks. Now, some time has passed, and some more bucks are coming to this park.

Washington Avenue Green

On All Hallow’s Morning, the Mayor and his crew celebrated a groundbreaking at Pier 53 for Phase II of Washington Avenue Green. The park, to this point, has only encompassed the land on the river’s coastline. The next phase will reclaim for the public the pier that extends out into the river.

Help coming to the pier

Currently, the pier is overgrown and barely accessible

Plans for the pier were the first released last spring and the land buoy, an art installation, immediately caught our eye. The buoy will be a beacon with a 16-foot sail capped by a 55-foot phosphorescent glass structure. At night, LED lights will illuminate the sky, thus making it easily visible as one drives along Columbus Boulevard.

Land bouy drawing

The improved Pier 53 will also include riparian planting, soil lifts, boulders, a small area for fishing, beach access, seating, as well as a boardwalk path, all contributing to the vision of naturalizing the pier, which had become overgrown and had naturally been returning to that stage on its own after decades of abandonment. The buoy, which will serves as the Pier’s new identity, was almost dropped from the project due to budget limitations, according to Lizzie Woods, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation spokesperson, but readjustments were made to make it happen. That budget includes $1.5M from the William Penn Foundation.

Rendering of the pier

The folks at DRWC have been busy of late. Last month, they presented the first round of the Penn’s Landing Redevelopment Study. The publication is the first look by design firm Hargreaves, which was chosen in the spring, at making the vision set forth in the Master Plan for the Central Delaware a reality. The completion of that project remains many years away, but a fully realized Washington Avenue Green should be here much much sooner.

–Lou Mancinelli