North End Landscaping – Race Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive

Fairmount Park, working with Schuylkill River Development Corporation, PennDOT and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society landscaped the North End of Schuylkill Banks from April to December 2009. This project included the creation of a gateway plaza near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, a river overlook west of the plaza, a formalized fishing pier with custom benches near Race Street, and a formalized walking trail near the tidal beach between Vine Street and Martin Luther King Drive. Fifty new trees were also planted along this trail segment in the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010 to create a more welcoming environment and help manage stormwater runoff. New benches and trash receptacles were installed along the trail to create a more welcoming environment and encourage good stewardship.

$980,000 in funding for this project was provided by the Federal Highway Administration, the William Penn Foundation and SRDC. An additional $25,000 in funding for the tree planting was provided by the Weeders Garden Club. The design of this trail segment was done by Lager Raabe Scafte Landscape Architects. Engineering was performed by Pennoni Associates and the primary contractor was AP Construction Co.