– AND a Request of interest in the continuation of participation in planning for the trail – And Involvement, support- of the Historic District criteria for Manayunk
At the November Manayunk Neighborhood Council Board meeting, the Board was updated on the status of the Manayunk Canal Project. An announcement was made on Thursday November 8, By the Secretary of DCNR, in Canal View Park of the awarding of a $300,000 grant from DCNR (Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources) to match $300,000 from the Councilman’s office to begin work along the rear of the buildings (in the public space only-any work on buildings will be covered by the owners) to make it an attractive area to bike, walk and spend time along the canal. This work will include the creating of seating and amenities where possible, banners, signage and general cleaning up of this area.
The $600,000 is the beginning of this phase of work-which will start at the Cotton St end of this section of trail. Ultimately, this section will cost about $1.3-$1.5 million from Cotton to Green Lane. For now funding is in place for a new Sluice House about the old one to allow better water flow into the canal area ($18 million), which is scheduled to be bid out in 2019. There is also funding for stabilization of Locks 69/70 ($1 million) and the Shawmont Train Station restoration ($1 million).
The Final Design for the rear of the buildings is based on design concepts developed first By Brown and Keener and finalized with Andropogon. The section covered is currently from Cotton St to the Park. MNC participated periodically over the years to make sure the community interests were considered. More design work from Canal View Park to Green Lane, which will include a ramp at Green Lane to the trail and a new concept for the park, as well as details behind those buildings. Boles and Smythe will oversee this Final Design, based on earlier design concepts.
We are hoping there is interest through MNC for community members to participate in both thinking about the last phase of the trail and park and the preservation of the buildings in our historic district along the canal. Manayunk history is often overlooked locally, when, in fact, the Industrial era, was the period of time which most of our country developed. Manayunk represents the early engineering, and industrial development of the 19th Century. It covers the period of mechanization, creating of canals and water power, moving into steam driven machinery and includes the immigrants who flowed here in a wide range of nationalities looking for work. This history represents our unique identity.