July 01, 2025
Provided Image/Riverfront North Partnership
Robert A. Borski Jr. Park opens in Bridesburg on July 11. The 10-acre lawn and meadow along the Delaware River waterfront is part of the 11-mile Greenway network that runs from Port Richmond to the Bucks County line.
The 10-acre site of a former concrete factory along the Delaware River in Bridesburg will begin a second life as a waterfront park in July after a decade-long project to transform the industrial property.
Robert A. Borski Jr. Park, named after the former U.S. Congressman who grew up in the neighborhood, is the final piece of the 11-mile Greenway network that spans eight parks and trails developed by Riverfront North Partnership. Borksi founded the organization – formerly the Delaware River City Corp. – in 2004 to spearhead repurposing vacant land along the riverfront in Northeast Philly.
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"These parks and the Greenway are really separated from neighborhoods by a lot of vacant industrial land and I-95, so it's not like people look out their front doors and see a green space," Stephanie Phllips, RNP's executive director, said of the riverfront. "They have to be invited."
Planning for the new park at 3150 Orthodox St., which is just north of the Betsy Ross Bridge, began in 2015. The William Penn Foundation gave RNP grant funding to engage the Bridesburg community, nestled east of the highway, about what to do with the land.
When Borski Park opens July 11, visitors will find a large lawn, an elevated meadow and about 1/2-mile of pathways made using a material designed for stormwater management.
"It feels really soft and slightly gritty when you walk on it, but it basically acts as a sponge," Phillips said. "It's really important that we have that stormwater runoff because the site is adjacent to former superfund sites."
The trail through the meadow section of Borski Park is shown above.
In January, the Friends of Borski Park volunteer group registered with the city and Fairmount Park Conservancy to become stewards for the new waterfront space. The friends are planning a range of free activities at Borksi Park, like yoga classes and bird walks on most weekdays until the end of November.
At the outset, Borski Park won't be a place to go fishing. The old factory used to dump its excess concrete into the river, creating what Philips described as a "concrete lava mountain" instead of a shoreline.
"It's really interesting visually, but not safe for people to fish," she said.
The future vision for Borski Park includes a variety of new amenities that could be built into the landscape. Renderings released in recent years include a stone amphitheater, a boardwalk overlooking the river, and pavilions for picnics and performances. Phillips said RNP is pursuing grants for the second phase, starting with the amphitheater, but did not give a timeline for those projects.
A rendering shows the terraced lawn planned at the new park in Bridesburg.
A rendering shows plans for the 10-acre Robert A. Borski, Jr. Park along the Delaware River waterfront in Bridesburg.
The 11-mile Greenway network winds from Pulaski Park in Port Richmond all the way north to Glen Foerd, the Torresdale mansion and event space near the Bucks County line. Other parks in the network include the 4 1/2-acre Lardner's Point Park, directly south of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, and Pleasant Hill Park on the riverfront between Holmesburg and Torresdale. RNP also partners with Pennypack Park at a site along State Road, helps oversee the K&T trail (named after the former Kensington & Tacony rail line) and manages the Frankford and Tacony boat launches.
Phillips joined RNP in 2018 after working at Bartram's Garden on the Schuylkill River. She said the city has made a slow but steady commitment to reimagining underutilized areas on the banks of Philadelphia's rivers, and part of that process is changing the way communities think about reclaiming these natural areas.
"There's this idea that the riverfront is a place of utility, not necessarily a place to enjoy," she said. "People don't really know that the river is there for them."
The former congressman and park's namesake will be at the dedication ceremony on July 11, along with Rep. Brendan Boyle, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson and others. The next day, the community is invited to the park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for food, music, lawn games and kids' activities.
