Venice Island

Venice Island is the legacy of 19th century industrial urbanization. In 1819 a three mile flyer of schist was sliced away from Manayunk by a narrow canal that supplied textile mills on the Island. Today this site's location led the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) to install a subsurface combined Sewer Overflow Tank. This tank holds nearly 4 million gallons of a mixture of sewage and storm water during rain events preventing untreated wastewater flowing into the Schuylkill River., To enable the use of the island for this essential river protection project, PWD committed to a full scale reconstruction of the Venice Island's recreation facilities. PWD worked with its sister city agencies and the neighborhood in the master planning process. This site uses the best in sustainable storm water management, ecological design and restoration to provide a much-needed public place in the heart of Manayunk that addresses multiple needs - recreation, environmental protection, commerce and open space., The revitalized space reflects the Island's industrial heritage, local building techniques and the vibrant natural history along the Schuylkill River, all the while meeting the rigorous challenges of creating a safe city park in the floodway. This park resides at the intersection of nature and city, striving to bring both closer.