The Northern Liberties Neighbors Association's community center at 3rd and Fairmount was packed to capacity last Thursday night, with neighbors fanning themselves in the Indian summer weather, anxious to see the results of their input. The ideas were in, and the various consulting groups fashioned them into a plan. The "Take Me to the River" project was yet one step closer to reality.

Over the last month, Northern Liberties residents had been offering ideas and recommendations for the "greening" of the Spring Garden Street corridor from 2nd Street east to the Delaware River. While the NLNA hosted neighborhood walks with the design consultants, in many cases residents submitted their proposals on the interactive map that the NLNA hosted on its Web site. From there, groups such as Digsau Architects, ARUP Lighting Design, City Play Landscapers and the Morris Arboretum took that input and created a vision for what the Take Me to the River project could potentially be.

Such a plan encompasses not only the planting of trees along the median strips of Spring Garden Street, but the redesign of Madison Memorial (Doughboy) Park, and a transformation of the underpass from an uninviting antipedestrian passageway to a pleasant and environmentally friendly transition that more organically connects the neighborhood to Delaware Avenue.

Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, as well as support from the Morris Arboretum and William Penn Foundation, the project is about to begin.

"Tonight is the beginning," said Matt Ruben, president of NLNA. "This presentation is a response to what has been seen, heard, gathered, and observed."

Broadly, the goal is to "increase functionality and aesthetics," as Ruben said before he introduced Jeff Goldstein of Digsau Architects. Goldstein, along with representatives from City Play Landscapes, the Philadelphia Water Department and the Morris Arboretum, presented the plan.

"This is the stretch of Spring Garden everyone loves to hate," Goldstein quipped as he outlined the three main and more immediate objectives.

"We received ideas from nearly two-hundred people," Goldstein said. "What happens on Spring Garden Street should reflect the vibrancy and diversity of the community.

"It should say, 'this is Northern Liberties.'"

With the availability of the grant money, the project is about to get under way.

First, the plan calls for treatment of streets as both urban and natural space. How this will ultimately look is up to both the Fairmount Park Commission and Northern Liberties residents.

The plan also attempts to prioritize pedestrians and bikers along what can be an intimidating stretch of sidewalk and street for both. Clusters of Juniper trees donated by the Morris Arboretum are to be planted along the PennDOT embankments, and trenches would be employed to collect storm water and allow for infiltration to feed trees and even lawns. Designers are also looking at ways to use trenches as multipurpose areas that might also feature seating, gardens and even bike storage.

Along with the greening of the corridor, the design consultants proposed a plan to turn Madison Memorial Park into a kind of "gateway" destination that links the neighborhood to the corridor and, ultimately, to the river. Three concepts for redesigning the park were presented. All incorporated trees, gardens and seating. One resident added later that he hoped the designs would encourage "sitters and not skateboarders."

In an effort to provide even more cohesion from the neighborhood to the river, designers took into account the many suggestions for the I-95 underpass. Now that the Mural Arts Program has become a partner in the project, the idea of a mural as well as periodic art installations or commissions is on the table. That would necessitate the repair of any cracks or structural problems existing along the underpass, but it seemed to be an idea that residents liked. There was even a suggestion to add plant-friendly lighting so that the underpass could host gardens or greenery of some kind. The overall goal is to turn it into an interactive space that serves as both a destination and a transition.

The presentation was focused on short-term goals that could be reached over the course of the next year or so. Longer term goals were mentioned and include fencing around PennDOT properties and a park along the Delaware waterfront.

Residents were generally pleased and excited about turning the stretch into a "linear park" dotted with vegetation. There are numerous aesthetic, environmental, property, and even psychological benefits to "greening" the area, the planners said.

Of course, one neighbor asked an important question that will have to be hashed out by the various municipal and private entities involved: When all the trees, plants and flowers are planted, who or which entity will be responsible for taking care of them?

For more information on the "Take me to the River" project, visit www.NLNA.org.**