$225M ‘Cap’ Means Old City Residents Have Easier Delaware River Access

An undeniable -- yet seemingly always unattainable -- asset to the city of Philadelphia, the Delaware River waterfront has long been kept at bay from residents by Interstate 95. The north-south highway the runs parallel to the river also serves as a barrier for Center City and Old City residents looking for easy access to the amazing views the waterfront offers. However, it seems those days will soon be numbered.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, plans are in place to demolish highway ramps between Market and Chestnut streets as part of plan that will eventually result in a $225 million 11-acre “cap” that will cover both I-95 and Columbus Boulevard – the latter being a four-lane roadway also in the way of pedestrian traffic. The report adds that $100 million of that total is coming from Pennsylvania while the William Penn Foundation is kicking in “several million dollars.”

“I’m still an advocate for tackling I-95 in a bigger way, but this is an important step,” Harris Steinberg, a University of Pennsylvania researched, told Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron. What’s more, the newspaper reporter that Steinberg was a lead researcher on a mid-2000s project that “laid the groundwork” for the effort that’s presently at hand. Once completed, this landscaped cap will span from Chestnut to Walnut streets and link “Front Street in Old City down to the river’s edge,” the Inquirer reported in July 2017.

For those researching Old City Philadelphia apartments in hopes of enjoying all of the amenities of that this historic section of the city has to offer, you can now add ease of access to the Delaware River to the list. Presently, those on foot attempting to enjoy the leisurely attractions of Penn’s Landing have to cross busy Columbus Boulevard, which also runs parallel with I-95. Another key consideration that this project will address is the lack of lounging space, so to speak, along the Delaware near Old City. Beyond the Race Street Pier, there are few places for folks to lay out and escape the hustle of nearby traffic.

“When this gets done, people will be stunned at how transformative this is,” Alan Greenberger, a previous deputy mayor of planning and development during the administration of former mayor Michael Nutter, told the newspaper. Although construction isn’t expected to begin until 2020, Philadelphia’s recent renaissance shows no signs of slowing down. That’s why  it’s important for those looking into Old City Philadelphia apartments to make their move now before there’s no longer any vacancy.