Lower Merion Township Agrees To Trail Development Deal
Last night, the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners approved a settlement agreement and a Preliminary Plan with O’Neill Properties to allow them to develop 569 apartments along the Schuylkill River in Lower Merion. The pending litigation and various lawsuits need to be resolved, but it is very likely that construction will begin later this year.
The first phase of construction will include construction of an 8’ pedestrian outrigger on the Pencoyd Bridge from Philadelphia to Lower Merion, construction of a .75 mile long, 14’ wide multi-purpose trail along the waterfront, and construction of 2 large public gathering space/plazas at the base of the bridges at either end of the site. The western end of the site will include a 9,000 sq. ft landscaped plaza overlooking Venice island.
O'Neill will also contribute approximately $550,000 as the project is being built, money which will be used to build a connection between his property and the Cynwyd Trail through the Township-owned Connelly property.
This segment is an important connection to the Schuylkill River Trail. It will help facilitate a loop from the Pencoyd Bridge on Main Street (Manayunk) over to Lower Merion Township, up to the Cynwyd Trail, over the Manayunk Bridge and back to Main Street. Congratulations to Lower Merion Township for closing this important trail gap!
