The city and the DRWC hope this will invite more people to cross Columbus Boulevard to get to the Race Street Pier, which will become a park festooned with wildflowers and offering a dramatic view of the river. The redesign of the Race Street Pier is expected to be completed by April, and the connector by this summer.
"We will have one of the best waterfronts in America," Mayor Nutter said in announcing the funding.
Race Street is the first of 10 to 12 streets between Oregon and Allegheny Avenues that the city plans to improve to make it easier to get to the waterfront.
Along much of the river, I-95 creates an immense barrier for walkers and bikers trying to get to the Delaware. In places, that barrier is mostly psychological, and planners hope that improved landscaping and other amenities will get people to cross to the river.
The city and DRWC also hope to add 75 to 150 acres of smaller parks along the riverfront, connected by a continuous recreational trail, over several years.
William Penn president Feather Houstoun said the grant was "a vote of confidence" in the Nutter administration and the DRWC's master plan to remake the Delaware riverfront.
She also credited City Councilman Frank DiCicco with consistently pushing an improved waterfront through various administrations.
DiCicco said a former city Water Department warehouse near the Race Street Pier would become a performance space for the Philly Fringe Festival, helping to attract more people to the river. The warehouse would also be the year-round office for the festival and would include a cafe.
Contact staff writer Miriam Hill
at 215-854-5520 or hillmb@phillynews.com.
