Pier 40 in Philadelphia reopens amid revitalization of city's waterfront
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Developers cut the ribbon on Pier 40 in Philadelphia on Tuesday, breathing new life into a formerly-abandoned property along the Delaware River.
The once-closed pier welcomed a new tenant: CubeSmart Self Storage facility by PrimeSpace Capital.
The grand opening of this new storage facility is one small part of a revitalization of the city's waterfront space.
Further north, there are plans for Grafitti Pier, which partially collapsed on July 31. The pier and six surrounding acres are set to be sold by Conrail to the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation.
"We thought a light touch would be appropriate. The space is internationally known already. Street artists have been going there to practice their craft for generations, and so you don't want to erase that past," says Joe Forkin, President, Delaware River Waterfront Corp "It's just a masterful art and community space that's waiting for the public to connect with it in the correct way."
The 95 CAP project is also well underway. The construction project will last for four years. In the end, by 2028, a 11.5 acre park will stretch over the busy highway, connecting Old City foot traffic to the waterfront.
"This Penn's Landing park that they are putting together, it's going to be five years, but it's going to be magnificent. I think anything they can do to increase the interest in this whole waterfront area is great with me," said Linda Beaver of Seacane.
More foot traffic can only mean more potential customers for small businesses along the waterfront.
