Riverfront

If nature had its way, the Manayunk Canal would eventually turn into wetlands. To keep that from happening, the city's Department of Parks & Recreation will begin dredging the waterway in 2012.

At a public meeting this week, the department announced the project, which will be done with the assistance of the Philadelphia Water Department.

Pennoni Associates, Inc., an engineering firm, is working as a consultant. The main areas that will be dredged sit between Flat Rock Dam and Lock 68, and at two silt islands located downstream.

Joel Zickler, the staff scientist at Pennoni Associates, explained that this dredging project is more than 10 years in the making. There are a few different ways to remove the sedimentation, and the department has decided to hydraulically withdraw it, because, Zickler says, "it is a lower-impact method than mechanically dredging."

One attendant asked if the dredging project would allow the Canal to be used recreationally. Rob Armstrong, the Department's preservation and development specialist, said that this is the ultimate goal, but that water flow must first be re-established in the Canal. Right now, the only thing feeding the canal is storm sewers. Eventually, Armstrong hopes that people will be able to take kayaks out on the Canal.

Another attendant was concerned about how the dredging project might affect birds that nest near the Canal. Zickler acknowledged that it was something that the contractors should keep in mind, but reminded the audience that part of the reason they're dredging the Canal is to maintain the environmental health of that area.

"Where you might champion the bird, I might champion the fish," said Zickler.

Armstrong added that if the dredging project somehow damages the Manayunk Towpath — which is being repaired this summer — then it would be promptly fixed. He said that the dredging will take about two months to complete, and should be finished by late 2012.

Picnickers and hikers may soon join the fisherfolk at Lardner's Point in Tacony.

Sometime this summer or early fall, construction will begin on a new, 4.5-acre park that will replace the current “cracked pavement and weeds” with greenery, wetlands, benches, picnic tables, solar lighting and composting restroom facility, said Tom Branigan, executive director of Delaware River City Corp., the non-profit organization that works to reconnect communities with the river along Philadelphia's northern Delaware River waterfront.

A lot of the river's edge will be restored to a natural state, which will yield wildlife habitat. The small pier – the place where fishing happens – stays, Branigan said. It will receive some repair work.

The spot sits next to the Tacony-Palmyra bridge, and offers excellent views of the bridge and the Palmyra Cove Nature Park across the river.

Earlier this week, City Council's Rules Committee sent on to full council legislation that would change the zoning designation for the area bounded by Milnor, Levick and Robbins Streets and the Delaware River from C-3 commercial to recreational. The property is owned by the city water department. The legislation, proposed by Councilwoman Joan Krajewski, “will permit the proposed park uses while preserving the land from unwanted development,” William Kramer, director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission's division of development planning, told the committee. Last week, PCPC gave the bill its support.

Plans for the park were developed by Baltimore's Biohabitats, the same landscape architecture firm that designed Washington Avenue Green in South Philadelphia.  Just as Washington Avenue Green is part of a multi-purpose trail along the central portion of the Delaware, Lardner's Point Park is to serve as a trail head for the North Delaware Riverfront Greenway and Trail. The city hopes that eventually, the north and central portions of trail along the Delaware will connect – and be part of the East Coast Greenway, a trail that will run from Main to Florida.

Construction of the project has not gone out to bid yet, Branigan said, but it is expected to cost about $1.5 million. All of the money has been raised, but paperwork is now being done to reclaim some of it. About half came from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Branigan said. The original hope was to start construction last year. When that didn't happen, the grant timed out, he said. But Branigan is confident it will be re-issued. Other funding sources include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Wildlife Fund.

Those of us who live, work and shop in South Philly have driven past the iconic SS United States countless times over the years. It is currently berthed in the Delaware River, directly across Columbus Boulevard from IKEA. Very few of us, though, seem to truly understand the hugely important role the ships plays in our country's maritime history. For starters, it was the largest ocean liner ever built in the U.S. It was also the fastest to ever cross the Atlantic. And in its mid-century heyday, it was known for shuttling political dignitaries and Hollywood superstars alike.

Unfortunately, due to its exorbitant maintenance costs, it has also been widely assumed that the grand ship--which has been referred to by Mayor Nutter as a "national treasure"--would soon be headed for the scrap yard. That all changed on Feb. 1, however, when it was announced that the SS United States Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing the ship, had managed to purchase it from its most recent owner, Norwegian Cruise Line. The $5.8 million price tag was covered by the local philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest.

But now that the ship has been saved, and with the Conservancy planning to transform it into something of a floating entertainment complex--complete with a museum, a hotel, and retail--the big question has to do with whether or not the ship will actually remain in Philadelphia. "The simple answer," says Dan McSweeney, the Conservancy's Executive Director, "is there's a decent chance the ship could stay in Philadelphia as a redeveloped stationary attraction. There's also a decent chance the ship could go to New York or Miami for the same purpose."

The Conservancy says it now has 20 months to find a group of public and private partners interested in developing the SS United States.

Source: Dan McSweeny, SS United States Conservancy

When it comes to collaborative public works projects, there are perhaps few more complicated to organize and execute than the urban biking-and-walking trail--especially if that trail winds its way through numerous counties and townships. That's exactly the situation of the Manayunk Bridge path, which for years now has been an important missing link in the plan to create a mega-trail stretching all the way from the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Southwest Philly to Pottsville.

But thanks to the efforts of a number of local community development corporations, as well as the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and the Schuylkill River Project, the city was recently awarded a $1.3 million grant to finish construction of the path along the old railroad bridge, which hasn't been operational since the 1980s.

According to Kay Sykora, director of the Schuylkill River Project, the planning and design phase will be complete in 18 months. Construction is expected to take an additional 12 months, barring any unforeseen roadblocks. If all goes well, bicyclists will be sailing across the Manayunk Bridge, which connects Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties, sometime during the summer or fall of 2013.

As Sykora explains it, much of the project's success was the result of positive collaboration between all the various agencies involved. "(Everyone) felt that this was a real trademark project, and that it was very symbolic in joining Montgomery County and Philadelphia County," she explained. "It's really a bridge that a large group of people are responsible for."

The $1.3 million grant was awarded as a part of PennDOT's PCTI program, a Smart Transportation initiative that garnered a total of $24.7 million in federal stimulus funds for 41 different community-led construction projects statewide.

"Everyone's excited," adds Sykora, "because everyone loves a project of this kind. It's a feel-good project."

Source: Kay Sykora, Schuylkill River Project

Harris Steinberg, of Penn Praxis, will discuss Philadelphia's waterfront revitalization efforts. He will be joined by Michael Purzycki, of the Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware.

102 Meyerson Hall, Room B1
210 South 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

The Schuylkill Project has been focusing on stewardship of volunteers lately; as part of a series of gatherings to assist volunteers, a meeting is scheduled for February that will focus on East Falls efforts. How can the work of volunteers in greening the waterfront best be supported by the Schuylkill Project? Some of the ways the Project is seeking to help include fundraising, connecting groups to city resources, and providing tools or supplies for workdays.

The volunteer get-together will be at Murphy's Irish Saloon at 3333 Conrad Street in East Falls on Thursday, February 10 starting at 7pm. Anyone who is interested in greening, whether you are a current volunteer or would like to be, is welcome. RSVP's are needed, however: please contact ascott@manayunk.org to let us know you're coming.

The Schuylkill Project celebrates life along the River and seeks to connect our communities to the river through planning, programming and project. Visit www.destinationschuylkillriver.org to learn more.

After 15 years of indignities and neglect, the SS United States has a new lease on life.

Ownership of the once-luxurious passenger liner, berthed in South Philadelphia for nearly 15 years, passed this morning to a group dedicated to its preservation and rebirth an entertainment complex.

"We own it as of three minutes ago," said Dan McSweeney, president of the SS United States Conservancy, shortly after 11 a.m.

A news conference and ceremonial signing is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Ikea on Columbus Boulevard, across from the liner's berth at Pier 82.

Launched during the Korean War, the SS United States provided uninterrupted service for 17 years. With the advent of jet travel to Europe, the ship's fortunes rapidly declined. It was retired in 1969 and changed owners several times. In 1992, it was towed to Turkey, then to Ukraine. It arrived in South Philadelphia in 1996.

During its last journeys, the revolving cast of owners sold off the furniture and stripped it of its fittings.

As it has rusted away on the Delaware River, the ship narrowly avoided the scrap yard.

In 2009, the Norwegian Cruise Line, a subsidiary of Genting Hong Kong, put the United States up for bid.

The conservancy was given the first chance to buy it, but didn't have the minimum $20 million to complete the deal. With berthing fees running $700,000 a year, NCL decided to cut its losses. The price reportedly dropped to $1.5 million and attracted the attention of ship breakers intent on tearing it apart for scrap.

In July, philanthropist H.F. Gerry Lenfest pledged $5.8 million to buy and maintain the vessel for 20 months. NCL reportedly declined a bid twice as high from a vessel scrapper in order to support the Conservancy's efforts, a spokeswoman for the group said.

McSweeney said investors in Miami and New York City have expressed interest in providing the ship a new home.

"We're going to keep it berthed in South Philadelphia as we repurpose it," McSweeney said. "As we look at our options we expect the ship will stay here."

The total cost of refurbishing the ship could reach hundred million dollars, McSweeney said.

A few faded ocean liners have been transformed successfully into tourist destinations.

The RMS Queen Mary was sold in 1967 and subsequently opened in Long Beach, Calif., as a floating hotel featuring several restaurants and historic attractions.

The SS Rotterdam, launched in 1958, was restored and opened as a hotel and museum last year in the Netherlands.

A plan to repurpose the Queen Elizabeth II into a luxury hotel in Dubai is pending.

If the duck boats return to the Delaware River, the company that operates the vehicles will significantly shorten the water portion of the ride and keep another vessel nearby to tow the ducks to safety should they become stranded.

The standby boat, which will be at Pier 5 near Arch Street, is one of several changes offered by Ride the Ducks in response to concerns raised by the U.S. Coast Guard after the July 7 accident that killed two duck-boat passengers, according to Coast Guard documents.

The documents, dated Aug. 27, indicate that the duck-boat operator and the Coast Guard have been discussing the conditions under which the concession can resume operations. The Coast Guard approved the return to the Delaware on Aug. 27, but details of the plan have not been officially released. The Inquirer obtained a copy of the approved plan.

Once the boats go from the ramp at the Race Street Pier into the Delaware, they will go only as far south as Pier 5. The boats previously had gone as far south as the Independence Seaport Museum.

The Delaware River ride will last about 15 minutes, about five minutes shorter than it used to be, but Ride the Ducks hopes to restore that time eventually once it has gotten experience working with the response boat. The company said it had not yet decided what changes would be made. The Coast Guard would have to authorize any amendments to the plan.

Although the ducks will operate within a much smaller area on the Delaware, passengers will still enjoy a good view of the city, Ride the Ducks vice president Bob Salmon said. On the old trip, the ducks moved quickly south.

"In this scenario, we won't be motoring as fast because we're just going to stay in the more confined area," he said.

The Coast Guard already has approved the Ride the Ducks plan to return its amphibious tour vehicles to the Delaware, although it is not clear how soon that will happen. The company hopes to have the boats operating this year.

"We were a little concerned about the interaction between a small duck boat and a large commercial vessel," said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Todd Gatlin. "To address our concerns, [Ride the Ducks] came up with several safety mitigations that you see in the operations plan."

The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the July 7 accident. A barge owned by the City of Philadelphia hit a duck boat that had stopped on the Delaware after its captain saw smoke coming from the engine. The first mate on the tug pushing that barge has refused to talk to investigators.

Ride the Ducks, based in Norcross, Ga., has maintained that its vehicles are safe.

"We have never experienced a guest injury on the water during our 33-plus-year history carrying millions on guests on hundreds of thousands of tours until July 7," Salmon said. "And on July 7 we were run over by a barge being pushed by a tug that did not respond to calls made by our captain and other mariners."

But the accident fueled concerns that smaller vehicles do not belong on the Delaware, a busy shipping channel.

Although the Coast Guard oversees duck-boat operations on the Delaware, Ride the Ducks has said it wants the city's approval, too. The company is waiting for Mayor Nutter to review the plan the Coast Guard approved.

"The mayor wants to be comfortable that these tours are operated in the safest way possible, and so he will continue to work with the company and the Coast Guard on ways to achieve that goal," said Mark McDonald, a spokesman for the mayor.

Gregory Adams, the Coast Guard's port captain in Philadelphia from 1998 to 2002, barred ducks from operating off Penn's Landing because of concern for their safety among larger ships. His successor, Jonathan Sarubbi, reversed Adams' ban in 2003, and the ducks have operated every year since.

Initially, Ride the Ducks had hoped to move the water portion of the tour to the Schuylkill, which has less traffic, but the city scuttled those plans after public complaints that the proposed route would upset a quiet park.

The plan approved by the Coast Guard calls for a response boat - and a licensed pilot - sitting at the end of Pier 5, ready to tow any stranded duck back to shore. The duck-boat captain would be able to call the response boat directly.

Previously, stranded boats had to contact the operations manager, who then called another duck, which then towed the disabled vehicle.

"What may have taken in the past 15 minutes now can happen in a few minutes," Salmon said.

By not having the ducks travel as far south in the river, Ride the Ducks will keep its vehicles within view of the response boat. The ducks also will stay closer to the shore, maintaining a distance of 100 feet from land, down from 150 feet previously.

Another precaution in the Coast Guard-approved plan calls for Ride the Ducks to stay out of the water if large commercial ships are operating within half a nautical mile of the ducks' operating area.

Gatlin said Ride the Ducks suggested the changes after the Coast Guard issued "loose guidelines" that the company needed to respond to.

"We said, 'We're concerned with your speed, your visibility, and your maneuverability,' " Gatlin said.

Bob Mongeluzzi, a lawyer representing the families of the two who died in the accident, said he believed the presence of the response boat only made the case that the ducks are unsafe.

"I think that Ride the Ducks is probably the only commercial boating enterprise in the United States that needs a tow and scout boat . . . for the safety of passengers," Mongeluzzi said.

Salmon said the response boat was voluntary on the company's part and replaced the previous system that used duck boats.

More than 15 million people draw their drinking water from the Delaware River Basin. Join us on March 10, 2011, for a free one-day forum on preserving the quality and quantity of the Basin's drinking water.
What: First-ever Delaware River Basin Forum
When: March 10, 2011
Where: WHYY Public Media Commons - 150 North 6th Street, Philadelphia and seven other linked locations and via live webcast
Who: Municipal, community, and business leaders, and water professionals
Registration: http://www.DelawareBasinDrinkingWater.org

Mayor Nutter today announced that the city will not award a contract to the amphibious tour company Ride the Ducks to operate on the Schuylkill River.

œThe City has fully reviewed Ride the Ducks proposal for the Schuylkill River and does not feel that it meets the City's standards for operations, said Nutter in a press release.

Back in October, the city announced that Ride the Ducks would be moving to the Schuylkill in March. The boats, which previously toured the Delaware River, have not been in operation since a July 7 accident in which two tourists were killed.

Not long after that announcement, the city said it was legally required to permit a competitive bidding process. Ride The Ducks was the only bidder for the contract.

The prospect of moving the boats to the Schuylkill has met with substantial opposition in the surrounding neighborhoods. In today's announcement, Managing Director Rich Negrin said the city was concerned about the impact on traffic and how the tours could operate during special events.

On July 7, a duck boat with 37 people on board was hit by a city-owned sludge barge being pushed by a tugboat operated by a private contractor. The duck boat capsized, and two Hungarian tourists were killed.

For more details, here's the press release from the Mayor's Office:

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA DOES NOT AWARD CONTRACT FOR AMPHIBIOUS TOURS ON THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER

Philadelphia, January 25, 2011 “ Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced today that the City of Philadelphia will not award a contract in response to its request for proposal (RFP) for an amphibious tour on the Schuylkill River.

œThe City has fully reviewed Ride the Ducks proposal for the Schuylkill River and does not feel that it meets the City's standards for operations, said Mayor Nutter.

An RFP was issued on November 19, 2010 for Amphibious Tours on the Schuylkill River. The Managing Director's Office, Parks and Recreation, the Office of Transportation and the Law Department carefully crafted that RFP to capture many community concerns, including noise, traffic, the on Schuylkill Banks and other potential disruptions of recreational uses on the River. Responses were due on December 22, 2010. Ride the Ducks submitted the only response

Managing Director Richard Negrin said, œWe appreciate Ride the Ducks efforts to address community concerns, but when all is said and done the proposal's potential traffic impact, the number of vessels that could be on the river at one time and the inability for the tours to operate during special events were issues with which the City was uncomfortable.

A technical review committee consisting of representatives of the Managing Director's Office, Office of Transportation, Parks and Recreation, Office of Economic Opportunity, Commerce Department and Planning Commission, with input from Finance, Law and Risk Management, unanimously recommended that the contract not be awarded.