3.22 Tacony a new urban riverfront neighborhood

Transcription

1 3.22 Tacony a new urban riverfront neighborhood 45

2 The Tacony study site extends north from the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge to the edge of the Northern Shipping site, alongside the Holmesburg Prison and Pennypack Park. It can be generally characterized as a mostly derelict, once industrial area, with no current residential use. At each end of the study site is a sizeable, cleared vacant parcel the 15-acre Dodge Steel site by the Tacony Bridge, and the nearly 80- acre site at Northern Shipping. The redevelopment of each of these parcels is seriously hindered however by their existing context: Dodge Steel is hemmed in between the Tacony Bridge and State Road circulation loop and electrical transformer site on the one side, and the truck, distribution and industrial buildings on the other. I-95 severs this site from any direct connection to inland neighborhoods. Northern Shipping, while sizeable and with large piers open to the River, is bounded by the Holmesburg Prison on one side and the Trash and Recycling facility on the other. Also, the current truck and industrial activity along State Road significantly conditions the perception and potential of these sites in unfortunate ways. Other important parcels between these two end sites include the contaminated Metal Banks superfund site, the St. Vincents Home, the Quaker City Yacht Club, the old Army Supply Depot, the Disston Saw Works complex, and the K&T line running along the riverfront. Clearly, the key issue for this site is the difficulty of reversing the pattern of decline and dereliction along the site, and in particular its backdoor relationship to the Riverfront. Indeed, the Riverfront here is quite spectacular, and points to a real potential to transform these old industrial lands to new mixed-use and residential communities that front a generous recreational river park. Essential to the success of any redevelopment of this site is the City s commitment to acquiring key parcels and riverfront land, providing a new riverfront greenway and river road, and installing pre-development utilities and streets. Like the Plan for Bridesburg, the Plan for Tacony must also be staged in phases, capitalizing upon what is currently available while working to clean-up and open the site for development. The Tacony Plan anticipates a 15 to 20 year development time-frame. In the early stages, key link roads from the neighborhoods are extended to the riverfront. These roads are carefully designed with double rows of trees, dedicated bicycle and pedestrian paths, and perpendicular parking. In this way they optimize their capacity to draw people to the riverfront while also setting up new frames for future development sites. At the same time, the vacant parcels can be cleaned-up, renovated and planted as large phyto-remediation meadows as at Bridesburg. The next stage sees the installation of the River Road, a two-lane park road that intersects with each of the link roads, and the installation of a new riverfront park. The third stage anticipates the renovation of the old Disston Saw Works as a new development, with loft apartments, commercial and office space, and a riverfront restaurant fronting a public river terrace. This development may also be expanded across to the Tacony Army Depot. Such a development would 46

3 have to be linked to the removal and relocation of the trash and recycling facility, and the remediation of this land. When this point is reached, the much larger Dodge Steel and Northern Shipping will likely be primed for high-end redevelopment, with new office and commercial space along the I-95 side, and new townhouse and loft / apartment buildings on the river side. At full build-out, we project the capacity of the site to support over 3,500 new residential units and over 3 million square-feet of commercial and mixeduse space. A significant aspect of this Plan is the extension of continuous green recreational space all the way from Poquessing Creek to Frankford Creek at Bridesburg, moving south from the Glen Foerd Estate, through Linden Avenue Park and the Baxter Water Treatment Plant, through the Fire Training Academy woodland, across Pennypack Creek and through the Pennypack Park to a new event terrace at Northern Shipping, along the front of Tacony to the Tacony Bridge, and continuing through to Bridesburg. This new public greenway would be open to all citizens, each gaining from the significant environmental, social, programmatic and economic benefits of the larger Redevelopment Plan. 47

4 Plan

5 Landscape 49

6 Phasing Existing Site Tacony Today Phase I Tacony in 1-6 years New neighborhood link roads and remediation landscapes 50

7 Phase II Tacony in 4-8 years New River Road, River Park, 1 st stage development + expanded remediation Phase III Tacony in 6-12 years 2 nd stage development, new park amenities, + expanded remediation 51

8 Tacony

9 View of Northern Shipping and new restaurant & market building, event terrace, river marsh garden, and pier housing 53

10 View of Tacony and Tacony-Palmyra Bridge View of new event terrace and riverfront restaurant at Northern Shipping View looking north from St. Vincents Home toward Northern Shipping 54

11 View from new riverfront housing across park and K&T line to river and Tacony-Palmyra Bridge 55

12 Development Statistics for Tacony + Northern Shipping Development COVERS ENTIRE AREA FROM TACONY BRIDGE TO END OF NORTHERN SHIPPING DEVELOPMENT SITE - AS PER PLAN TOTAL SITE AREA (FULL COVERAGE) 334 ACRES PUBLIC STREET ROW (INC. RIVER ROAD) 59 ACRES (17.65%) PUBLIC OPEN SPACES 87 ACRES (26%) RIVERFRONT PARK 54 ACRES I-95 LANDSCAPE 7 ACRES OTHER OPEN SPACE 26 ACRES EXISTING PROPERTIES (INC. ST. VINCENT S HOME) 27 ACRES DEVELOPABLE LOTS 161 ACRES (48.2%) INTERNAL CIRCULATION 4 ACRES GARDENS 12 ACRES BUILT FOOTPRINT 66.5 ACRES (2.9 MIL. SF) COVERAGE 41% BUILT SQ.-FOOTAGE (ASSUME 4 STORY AV.) 11.5 MILLION SF FAR (FLOOR AREA RATIO) 1.6 TOWNHOUSES (BOTH SINGLE AND STACKED) 1,200 UNITS APARTMENT AND LOFT 2,300 UNITS COMMERCIAL / RETAIL AND CULTURAL 3 MIL. SF TOTAL RESID. UNITS 3,500 (10.5 UNITS GROSS ACRE) (22 UNITS / DEVEL. ACRE) PARKING TOTAL: 12,500 PRIVATE SPACES TOTAL: 9,700 (1.5 CARS / RESID. UNIT CARS / 1000 SF COMM.) ON-STREET (PUBLIC) 2,800 SPACES PRIVATE GARAGE / SPACE: 2,200 SPACES PRIVATE SURFACE LOTS: 4,000 SPACES BELOW GRADE: 3,500 SPACES 56

13 Order of Magnitude Costs for Public Works in the Tacony Site Includes site area from Dodge Steel to and inclusive of Northern Shipping; Order of magnitude estimates based on 2001 Philadelphia prices; Land Acquisition and Relocation Costs not included: River Road 4 million River Park 34 million Remediation Fields 10 million Primary Link Roads 10 million Utilities 12 million Total: 70 million 57

14 Environmental Implications for the Northern Shipping Property The 110-acre Northern Shipping Property is located on State Road, in an area dominated by industrial development. Starting in the 1930s, the site was used as a shipping & commodity storage facility. The site reportedly handled cocoa beans, steel coils, steel piping and scrap metal; although other non-specified materials were also handled/stored at the site. Active operations ceased during the 1990s. In 1990, Greylag Technical Services, Inc. performed an environmental survey of the site. A total of twenty surface soil samples were collected from the various areas of the site, and analyzed for heavy metals, PCBs, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). No VOCs were detected, and PCBs were detected below Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Act 2 soil standards. However, in many locations, arsenic and lead were detected above Act 2 residential soil standards:! Arsenic concentrations were as high as 130 parts per million (ppm), and the Act 2 residential soil standard for arsenic (12 ppm) was exceeded in 13 of the 20 samples. The non-residential soil standard of 53 ppm was surpassed in 8 samples.! Lead concentrations were as high as 9300 ppm, and the Act 2 residential soil standard for lead (500 ppm) was surpassed in 13 of the 20 samples. The non-residential soil standard of 1000 ppm was surpassed in 10 samples. In addition, TPH detections were present in all 20 samples, at concentrations ranging from 73 ppm to 4000 ppm. There is no Act 2 soil standard for TPH; however, Act 2 standards exist for a wide range of specific hydrocarbon compounds that were not analyzed as part of this study. (Note: VOCs, which include lighter hydrocarbon compounds, were analyzed for but not detected. Therefore the TPH concentrations reflect the presence of heavier hydrocarbon compounds, most likely including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which may be present in the soils above Act 2 standards). Prior to any redevelopment of this property, additional field investigations would be necessary to: 1) better define the extent of arsenic and lead in surface soils; 2) define the extent of specific heavier hydrocarbon compounds in the surface soil; and 3) to determine the nature and extent of any deeper subsurface soils and/or groundwater contamination (caused by any organic or inorganic contaminant of potential concern). After the additional site investigation activities described above are completed, various site clean-up options would be assessed (with oversight from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection). For example, considering the known surface soil contamination, options to be considered would include excavation and off-site disposal; in-place bioremediation (for the organics); capping; and phytoremediation (the use of plants to remove or break down contaminants). Phytoremediation (perhaps in conjunction with in-place bioremediation) appears particularly attractive for this site. The in-place bioremediation would involve the tilling of site soils and the addition of microbes, nutrients and water to maximize the microbially-induced breakdown of the heavy hydrocarbon compounds. Phytoremediation would involve carefully-designed plantings of species known to remediate the lead, arsenic and organics that are present in the site surface soils. Typically, a phytoremediation expert would be hired, who would design a test plot to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of selected plant species in achieving desired results. For example, lead can be removed with pumpkin vines, sunflowers, and Indian mustard plants. Heavy hydrocarbons can be removed (or broken down into simpler, non-toxic compounds) using a wide variety of grasses. Arsenic is more problematic, although recent research on arsenic phytoremediation appears promising, and effective phytoremediation approaches for arsenic may be soon available. While costs vary greatly from site to site, phytoremediation and bioremediation techniques are certainly viable options for remediation of surface soils. Clean-up times can also vary greatly, typically ranging between one and five years. 58

15 3.23 The River Park eight miles of uninterrupted riverfront public open space 59

16 The River Park has already been introduced in the prior sections on Bridesburg and Tacony, but here we focus on the Park as an entire unit, extending from Frankford Creek to Pennypack Park and through to Linden Avenue. The Park, replete with a new River Road, dedicated bicycle and pedestrian paths, smaller trails, fishing and boating facilities, and larger amenities such as restaurants, marinas, equestrian centers, museums, markets and event spaces, is conceived as the primary public works project that will establish a new riverfront door for future development parcels and residents. As in the larger Plan, the River Park can be implemented in stages, beginning with land acquisition, remediation, circulation, and moving toward more amenities and restoration over time. There are several components to the Park: River Road: as described earlier in this Report, the River Road is conceived as an exquisitely designed, leisurely Park Road to facilitate access along the riverfront and to new development. It is shown as two separate two-lane corridors in lower Bridesburg, merging into a single two-lane road from Bridge Street all the way to Linden Avenue. A critical design quality of the River Road is envisioning it as a connector street rather than a capacity street. It is intended to provide leisurely access along the Delaware River with intersections to existing and proposed streets perpendicular to the River. No trucks will be allowed. Its speed should not exceed 25 mph, and traffic will have to come to a full-stop at each and every link road connection, where bicycle and pedestrian crossings assume priority. In addition to curves and traffic-slowing geometries, the many and frequent stops at intersections, combined with raised surfaces and clearly marked pedestrian and bicycle crossings at the Stop, should sufficiently slow and deter through-traffic. The new River Road is also envisioned as a highly designed and innovative road using permeable surfacing technologies and linked to a swale and wetland system for sustainable stormwater drainage. In place of raised curbs, shallow swales with infiltration trenches run parallel to the road 60

17 collecting runoff from both the road and adjacent lands. Short boardwalks across the swales provide access across River Road for pedestrians and bicyclists Paths: Running through the Park are a number of paths, primarily a designated bicycle path, a main pedestrian path, and numerous smaller trails. These paths are aligned so as to facilitate optimal connectivity both along the riverfront and to development sites and neighborhood link roads, while also segregating different user groups and activities. 61

18 Parkland: Land on either side of the Road and all the way to the water s edge is shown as parkland. This is mostly short and long grass meadow with some areas left in natural succession. There are more managed areas for sports, games, events, and other passive and active programs. The parkland is also shown with strands of wetland linked to the road corridor as part of an integrated stormwater retention system. Events Terraces: A number of larger hard-surfaces provide large areas for the building of riverfront amenities such as restaurants and cafes, small museums, equestrian centers, marinas, markets and cultural facilities. The event terraces can also support large scale gatherings for big riverfront events, such as firework displays, boating races, concerts, celebrations and festivals. Riverbank Restoration: The river s edge is developed as a richly diverse series of riverine and intertidal habitats, mostly drawn from existing conditions but also remade and restored where necessary. These habitats include the restoration and extension of native riverbank forest, tidal marshes and wetlands, tidal flats, stone beaches and cove niches. Where river-edge activity is high, a stone revetment retains the park side and allows pedestrian movement along a river esplanade. This esplanade weaves in and out so as to bring riverine habitats inland at certain moments and to extend park outlooks into the river at others. 62

19 Existing Parcels 63

20 Riverfront Park Plan

21 Zone 1: Bridesburg 65

22 View North across Park and new Residential Development, with riverfront event-strip tot he right View South across Park and ramp to the Betsy Ross Bridge, new school in center, and residential development to the left 66

23 View along riverfront esplanade with restaurant to the left and tidal marsh garden to the left View along riverfront esplanade toward the Betsy Ross Bridge, with riverfront restaurant to the right. 67

24 View South along new River Roads, Park and K&T line to the River and Betsy Ross Bridge View across event terrace with new museum gallery building 68

25 View of tidal-beach and restored riverbank forest at Bridesburg 69

26 Zone 2: Frankford-Wissinoming 70

27 View North of new boardwalk across wetland and tidal beach with road and bike path beyond 71

28 Zone 3: Tacony-Holmesburg 72

29 View South-West across the Northern Shipping Site toward new pier housing with event surface in the foreground View North from St. Vincent s Home across new tidal marsh garden to new residential development and parkland beyond 73

30 View South along riverfront path to the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge View of Tacony-Palmyra Bridge from the current Dodge Steel Site 74

31 Riverbank Restoration 75

32 Order of magnitude costs for implementation of the River Park Includes all of Park area shown in Plan from Frankford Creek to Pennypack Park, and includes earlier costs shown for Bridesburg and Tacony Developments; Additional Costs must be assumed for the extension of the River Road section between Pennypack Park and Linden Avenue; Order of magnitude estimates based on 2001 Philadelphia prices; Note also that part of the numbers shown below are already included in earlier numbers given for Bridesburg and Tacony; Land Acquisition and Relocation costs not included: River Road 16 million River Park 70 million Park Utilities 4 million Total: 90 million 76