Watch: Permanent Design Proposal for Grays Ferry Triangle Unveiled

Check out the fly-thru video for a look at what the future could hold for the super cool public plaza.


Do you enjoy basking in the sunshine at the Grays Ferry Triangle, that super cool pedestrian plaza/park that takes over Grays Ferry Avenue at 23rd and South Street? Well, plans are in place to make that space even better, and it starts by making it permanent.

Jon Geeting of PlanPhilly reports that SOSNA‘s Grays Ferry Avenue Triangles Committee unveiled a few conceptual design proposals at a recent DesignPhiladelphia event called Shifting the Public Realm from Streets to Plaza. 

Geeting says that Bergmann Associates, the firm behind the design, was given a few “stipulations” while conjuring up the plans for a bigger public space, including preserving the same amount of flex space for programming and events, preserving the historic horse drinking fountain (while still allowing for “campfire-style” seating around it) and maintaining an edge for the plaza as a safety buffer from traffic and dampener for noise.

From the looks of the site plan, which you can view here, the new Triangle will expand to take over the entirety of Grays Ferry Avenue, seamlessly integrating the sidewalk with the plaza area and Catherine Thorn Park, currently a small green space at the corner of 23rd and South. Though the street is in the form of a triangle (hence the name), the design looks to highlight areas within the space through a series of circles. The new surface will be made of cobblestones that aid in storm water management.

As for seating, permanent stone benches made of Wissahickon schist will be installed in curves throughout the space and the familiar movable furniture will remain. Also, the proposal calls for canopy trees to be installed for shade and a rain garden area near South Street.

Concepts show that the popular Indego bike share station will also continue at the southern edge of the new plaza along 23rd Street.