Proposed $40 million marina in Northeast Philadelphia aims to be a catalyst for more waterfront development
The project could include restaurants, a pool, boat storage, and more.
A $40 million proposal to build a new marina in Northeast Philly may soon lead to the demolition of the Quaker City Yacht Club building, part of an effort to spark revitalization along the Delaware River waterfront.
It’s part of a plan by Dana and Ron Russikoff, who in April spent $1.15 million on a 6-acre parcel that includes the yacht club at 7101 N. Delaware Ave. The couple, who are avid boaters and the founders of SureShade, a company that makes retractable shades for boats, want to build a marina to entice more boaters to the area.
“A lot of the Philadelphia boaters are taking their dollars down to Chesapeake, down to the Jersey Shore where there is more for boaters to do,” Dana Russikoff said. “We’re hoping to start a trend that reverses that. We’re hoping to be a catalyst for more waterfront development.”
They estimate the project could cost $30 million to $40 million and plan to raise public and private funds. The property is in a qualified federal opportunity zone, which provides tax breaks to investors, said Dana Russikoff.
Early plans include several restaurants, a pool, around 200 boat slips, boat storage, and fuel for boats. The Quaker City Yacht Club’s building does not have a historical designation, though the club was founded in 1887. The structure would be demolished to build a four-story building and an adjacent building for boat storage on the property. The club would be a tenant and have space within the planned four-story building, said Dana Russikoff.
The development will be called One River Marina, and the first phase will consist of building out the in-water portion of the complex, which includes boat slips, a fuel dock, and dry-rack storage. The plan is to have that “completed or very close to completion” in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 when the city is expected to see a significant influx of tourists. A timeline for the rest of the project was not available yet.
“We have this beautiful river, we have so many boaters out on it, and there really isn’t anywhere for them to dock and dine, to be able to pull up in their boat and have a bite to eat with a nice view,” she said.
In addition to local boaters, the Russikoffs hope to attract customers from out of state, she said. They also hope people in nearby neighborhoods might visit the marina for the restaurants and pool.
There haven’t been many new amenities for local boaters in recent years, Dana Russikoff noted, but in 2017 public docks opened in Bristol, which have attracted more people to the area.
“They’re getting out-of-state boaters coming up the river now to enjoy their Main Street. It really helped revitalize the town,” said Dana Russikoff. “We’re hoping the same — that by building One River Marina right there in the historic Tacony neighborhood that it is a catalyst for redevelopment in those neighborhoods as well.”