Just south of Penn’s Landing, Dockside has 13 stories of apartments above a three-story parking garage. Dockside is built on Pier 30, supported by pilings embedded in the Delaware River bottom, and has been mired by community opposition and controversy since it was proposed. DePaul Group received about $6 million in public funding from the Delaware River Port Authority to build Dockside and advance DePaul’s proposal for a Dockside II north of the Ben Franklin Bridge — the plan for the second building never progressed. Much controversy ensued after DePaul tried to avoid Philadelphia’s public art requirement that one percent of all construction costs of major new buildings be reserved for the purchase and display of art for the public benefit. Instead of spending the $500,000 needed for the One Percent rule, DePaul agreed to design the building façade in the shape of a boat to make it better integrated with its river surroundings. Despite its location near the tight Old City and Queen Village neighborhoods, Dockside has struggled to reach full occupancy.
Website717 South Columbus Boulevard
