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Last week, Mayor Nutter officially opened the brand new Race Street Pier park, an awesome new waterfront amenity for Philadelphia residents and visitors to enjoy. (Photo by Christian Carollo / Picture Philly)

On Thursday of last week, Mayor Nutter officially opened the new Race Street Pier, the first new public space of its kind on the Central Delaware River Waterfront to be realized as part of the ambitious new Master Plan for the Central Delaware River Waterfront.

Picture Philly was there for the opening and has posted a great photo essay of the fantastic new park on their website.

The new Race Street Pier will be open daily from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. during the upcoming summer season. Bonus: Clear will be providing FREE 4G WiMAX internet access for the Race Street Pier enabling all visitors to enjoy free wireless internet.

Click here to check out a bunch more photos of the amazing new waterfront park on Picture Philly.

Some cool facts about the park.

Trees: The 37 large caliper Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor) trees are very special. They were cultivated for four years at a nursery in Millstone, NJ for the World Trade Center Memorial at Ground Zero in New York City.

Grasses and Perennials: Almost 10,250 individual 4 inch pots of shade tolerant grasses and perennials were planted in weathered steel planters to increase diversity and add texture, color and seasonal interest.

Lighting: The park’s setting under the Ben Franklin Bridge is spectacular at night; therefore the park was designed to be enjoyed in the evening as well as during the day with extensive lighting including 200 LED Solar Light Blocks embedded into the paving.

Paving: The paving on the upper level ramp is Trex, a sustainable synthetic decking material made out of reclaimed plastic and wood, representing one of the largest public installations of Trex decking in the country.

Railings: The perimeter railing leans at a 65 degree angle towards the pier, further accentuating the forced one-point perspective of the ramp rising along the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Lights are incorporated into the railing on the lower level.

Seating Steps: Tiered seating terraces link the upper and lower levels and create a destination at the end of the pier for viewing, gathering, and contemplation.

Wharf Drops: 2 wharf-drops on the lower level originally used to unload cargo for shipping were retrofitted and integrated into the new park. They are covered with transparent metal grating and a portion of one has been left open for users to experience the river in an unusual and authentic way.

Tides: The Delaware River is tidal, fluctuating an average of six feet in elevation a day. At mean high water level, the lower level of the pier will be approximately 4.5 feet above the river, making the Race Street Pier one of the rare places where you can get close to the water. The Race Street Pier is also a tidal register, where you can find out the forecast for high and low tides for the City of Philadelphia.

Race Street Pier Park
Columbus Boulevard at Race Street on the Delaware River
www.delawareriverwaterfrontcorp.com