Washington Avenue Pier, located along the river at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Columbus Boulevard opened in 2014 as the second park to be completed by DRWC. The design of Washington Avenue Pier honors its evolving role on the waterfront from shipbuilding center to port-of-entry to naturalized finger pier.
As with all Waterfront sites, Washington Avenue Pier has a complex history. It it located near the site of the nation's first Navy yard and was Philadelphia's immigration station, which welcomed over 1 million new Americans from the 1870’s through the First World War. In honor of this history, Jody Pinto created "Land Buoy", a striking 55’ spire at the end of the Pier that allows visitors to climb a 16’ spiral staircase for expansive views up and down the river. The Land Buoy also emits a soft blue light, acting as a beacon and an invitation in memory of those who came through the Pier.
Washington Avenue Pier was built as an ecologically-minded public space, with an on-grade path allowing visitors to reach the tip of the pier and touch the water, an elevated boardwalk allowing visitors to pass over wetland habitat below, ecological enhancements including intertidal and riparian plantings, and innovative stabilization methods
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