Yesterday, Wednesday, September 9th the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DWRC) Board of Directors held a special meeting to discuss the future development of Penn’s Landing and select a developer for the site.
The RFP asked for developers to submit plans for two sites, one at Market Street with mid-to-high rise buildings, and one south of Spruce Street Harbor Park with low-to-mid rise buildings. These two sites will be connected by the new Penn’s Landing Park that is a part of the cap over I-95.
Four developers responded to the RFP that DWRC had put out for the site development last October, including Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) who are the owners of the Sixers.
The DRWC selection committee recommended the selection of the Durst Organization’s proposal. In their recommendation, they highlighted that the Durst proposal carried out the vision of the Master Plan for the Central Delaware, which provides a clear vision for access to the waterfront, economic development, and open space, and was the only proposal that did not ask for a public subsidy. The DWRC board voted unanimously to select the Durst proposal.
The Durst plan includes 3.5 million square feet and a $2.2 billion investment. Between the two sites, they plan for nearly 2,400 residential units, over 120,000 square feet of retail, a preschool, a supermarket, a hotel, and lots of open space to be built in four phases over nine years. Hi-res renderings and site plans are here.
The Durst organization is an accomplished developer in New York, and is known as a leader in green design and building. They also have properties north of the Penn’s Landing site along the Delaware River, including Dave & Busters, Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse, and Morgan's Pier Beer Garden.
