Those pushing Philadelphia waterfront development say things will be different this time

From the rooftop of a gutted eight-story storage building just south of the SugarHouse Casino, Michael Samschick looks out on the sweeping Delaware River vista - and what he hopes is the future.

Across Delaware Avenue is 12 acres that the city wants to transform into housing and shops, with a promenade stretching to the water's edge.

To the north and south are parking lots, vacant land, old warehouses, and empty buildings, all ripe for new uses.

And under his feet is a hulking, 80-year-old concrete building that once stored trucks and backhoes shipped through the port. His company - Core Realty - is converting the building and its twin next door on Poplar Street into 192 apartments.

"It's time," said Samschick of the waterfront. "This area is going to be amazing."

Philadelphians have heard this one before.

No other neighborhood has been beset by so many dashed dreams and false starts as the Delaware River waterfront. The opening of SugarHouse last September was the last major project.

But there are new signs of life on the banks of the central Delaware, restoring hope that reality could actually meet expectations.

Besides Core Realty's conversion of the twin storage buildings, other projects include:

The transformation of Municipal Pier 11 into the Race Street Pier. The city and Delaware River Waterfront Corp. (DRWC) opened the one-acre public space in May to spark interest in what the waterfront could look like.

The expansion of SugarHouse on North Delaware Avenue. The casino is working on plans to build a multistory parking garage with first-floor gaming space.

A proposed 3,000-seat music hall at 2055 Richmond St. Developer David Grasso wants to renovate an industrial building into a performance venue to be operated by Live Nation.

And the purchase of an old pumping station at Race Street and Columbus Boulevard by the Live Arts Festival/Philly Fringe Festival. The group will convert the 110-year-old brick structure into a theater, offices, and restaurant, which will increase street-level activity around the Race Street Pier.

"I can see the pendulum swinging," said Nick Stuccio, producing director of the festival. He said the waterfront was still a frontier, but added: "We went down there knowing we're getting in on the ground floor of something great."