Waterfront Corporation continuing to expand river trail
The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation is looking to purchase more South Philly land to continue expanding the river trail.
The latest development is the impending purchase of the strip of land behind the Sheet Metal Workers Union site at 1301 S. Columbus Blvd.
This new acquisition would allow the Washington Ave. Green to expand farther south and bring a landscaped pedestrian and bike trail to this portion of the waterfront.
More from PlanPhilly:
On Tuesday, the Planning Commission approved a subdivision of a parcel used by the Sheet Metal Workers Union and owned partly by developer Eric Blumenfeld. The subdivision would allow DRWC and the Natural Lands Trust to continue the riverfront trail and do environmental restoration work. Under the terms of the agreement, the current owners, Eric Blumenfeld’s Liberty Landing Association, will maintain control of two other piers behind the planned trail extension for possible future development.
The Natural Lands Trust is purchasing the property on behalf of DRWC. The final sale amount has not yet been settled, but the Trust received grants totaling $924,000 for the acquisition of the site from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Department of Community and Economic Development.
Developer Bart Blatstein, who controls the site adjacent to the Sheet Metal Workers property south of Reed Street, said on Wednesday that he’s working with the Natural Lands Trust to set aside the next segment of the riverfront trail. Blatstein said he still hasn’t figured out how he plans to develop the rest of the property.
It would be helpful if they put in to place a plan for the actual way you access it from “Tasker Street,” which at the start of the trail is more of a Walmart loading dock, with trucks pulling in and out, food waste and other garbage strewn about, and security guards who seem to resent people running there.
@ Dan: I think you’re accessing it the wrong way. You don’t go through the Walmart loading dock. That’s probably why security is eyeing you up.
Anthony,
I don’t find the other way much better if I am running. If you go around the front of the Walmart, you also run on a sometimes really crowded sidewalk that, depending on the time of day, includes various shoppers with shopping carts, crowds waiting for the bus, etc.
Regardless, I think that as a result of it having no good access point (and generally being poorly marked at either end, really) its use is pretty sparse, despite it being a really nice little respite on Delaware Ave.
Oh well, I just don’t have any problem getting on the trail. Guess I’m just special.
Different Dan than first commenter but I agree… there are no signs directing runners or cyclists (whose experience on that stretch of Tasker east of Columbus isn’t all that great to begin with) to go around to the front of the Walmart and the riverside of the building to access the trail. It only seems natural you’d continue on Tasker to the entrance. Though it requires stepping over a guard rail… Oh well. Walmarts probably only have a 30-40 year lifespan anyway. With any luck we’ll get it right once that property is ready to be redeveloped in a few decades.
It definitely seems like you are doing something illicit when you try to find the entrance to the trail. Like commit suicide in the Delaware or do heroin. But that’s the motivation I need for a great run!
I agree with others…let’s get some better signage! I can recall running down Reed to the Comcast service center where my boyfriend had accessed the trail before, only to find the entrance closed. It’s confusing and hidden.
The land at Reed and Delaware ave would be a great park, pool club, something. Put the theatre over there and redevelop that area. You see what Baltimore did and we are decades behind them. It takes some risk. Everyone wants the quick dollar. Perhaps a wetlands institute like outside stone harbor. Pay 5 and walk through the wild.