Philly Waterfront Building Under Closer Scrutiny

Central Delaware River Waterfront master plan for Philadelphia was developed by Cooper Robertson, OLIN, and Kieran Timberlake. The plan is a blueprint for transforming the waterfront over the next 25 years or so into a more vibrant, green waterfront that is better connected to the city.

The Delaware River Waterfront Corp. (DRWC) www.delawareriverwaterfrontcorp.com, the independent agency responsible for the new Delaware River waterfront master plan in Philadelphia, voted Oct. 4, 2012 to strengthen its review of new buildings along Columbus Boulevard following the recent approval of “three poorly designed and oversize apartment houses.”

Columbus Boulevard in Philadelphia runs along the left bank (west) of the Delaware River. New Jersey is on the right bank (east).

The Philadelphia City Planning Commission approved the master plan for the Central Delaware River Waterfront on March 6, 2012. The plan includes creating new public spaces, acquiring waterfront piers for future wetlands areas and public parks and trails, and presenting programming and events on the Central Delaware.

DRWC has already set up a design review committee for evaluating proposals before they go to the planning commission to determine whether they comply with master plan standards. The DRWC acknowledges, however, its influence will be limited because developers are not legally obligated to submit their plans for their review.