Philadelphia’s “Graffiti Pier” could become a public park after Conrail gets closer to selling property
Philadelphia’s “Graffiti Pier” could become a public park depending on the outcome of a sale to a local nonprofit.
A portion of the pier collapsed into the river in late July 2024.
Rail company Conrail owns the pier, which was once used as a loading dock for ships hauling coal. The pier juts into the Delaware River near Cumberland Street in the city’s Port Richmond neighborhood.
A spokesperson said the company is in talks with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation and could reach an agreement by the end of 2024.
“We understand that the property would be integrated into the DRWC’s parks and trails systems,” a Conrail spokesperson said in an email.
CBS News Philadelphia will hear more from the DRWC, a nonprofit formed to manage the riverfront, later today.
The DRWC formed a group in 2019 to discuss planning and design for the future of the pier. There’s already a completed planning study over 100 pages in length with renderings of what a park could look like, down to the plant life and potential arrangements for benches.
“The goal of the project is to retain the creative spirit and cultural value of Graffiti Pier while enhancing waterfront access for the Olde Richmond and Port Richmond neighborhoods,” the organization’s website says. The study also lists goals to “make it safe and accessible without looking safe and accessible,” and to “keep the grit.”
The Delaware River pier, formally known as Pier 18, acquired its nickname thanks to the work of several artists who covered the concrete with their creations.
An Instagram account dedicated to the pier calls it “Philadelphia’s unsanctioned street art museum.”
