Venice Island (Pennsylvania)

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Venice Island is a piece of land formed by the Manayunk Canal and the Schuylkill River, near Manayunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A mill site in the 19th century, it has recently become the site of a somewhat controversial urban development in a flood plain. [1] Upstream of Venice Island is the Flat Rock Dam and directly adjacent is the Manayunk Canal Towpath. The island is now home to the Venice Island Performing Arts and Recreation Center (VIPARC) [2] and residential apartment buildings.

Contents

Location: 40°01′49″N75°14′02″W / 40.03028°N 75.23389°W / 40.03028; -75.23389

History

The Flat Rock Dam and Manayunk Canal were a part of the Schuylkill Navigation System. [3] The Manayunk Canal was a man-made canal that opened around 1820s. [3] The creation of the Manayunk Canal resulted in the formation of Venice Island. [4] Due to its location on the river, Venice Island became and ideal spot for industrial mills. [4] The Manayunk Canal was a source of coal transportation and hydropower to the mill sites on Venice Island. [3] [5] The rise in the railroad industry was the direct result of the Manayunk Canal closing in the 1940s as ships were no longer used to transport coal. [6] Consequently, the water in the Manayunk Canal became stagnant leading to unclean water, health issues, algae blooms, and a rise in pollution. [6] The Philadelphia Water Department has plans to reopen the canal in the Spring of 2025 in order to meet the Clean Water Act standards. [6] The reopening of the Manayunk Canal will improve the river's ecosystem and the overall health of the water. [6]

Flood events

Venice Island is located on a floodplain, making the island a high-risk flood zone. [7] Below are flood events that have impacted Venice Island:

Development

VIPARC is a multi-use recreational facility with amenities such as an outdoor basketball and volleyball court, a children's spray park, and an intimate 250 seat capacity theater. [2] This project was completed in 2014 with the collaboration of the Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, and the people of Manayunk. [13] The Venice Island Project included green infrastructure in the form of a green roof, rain gardens, and a multimillion gallon storage basin which was carried out by the Philadelphia Water Department. [13] VIPARC is managed by the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. [14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Multi-Family Residential Development Plans" (PDF). Retrieved 2025-06-02.
  2. 1 2 "Venice Island Performing Arts and Recreation Center — Visit Philadelphia — visitphilly.com". www.visitphilly.com. Archived from the original on 2014-12-27.
  3. 1 2 3 "Manayunk Canal Book | PDF". Scribd. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Manayunk Main Street Historic District Flood Guide" (PDF). July 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-02-24.
  5. ↑ says, Mark Rabenold (2012-02-03). "Manayunk Canal Restoration Begins". Hidden City Philadelphia. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Oh, DAM! The Manayunk Canal is getting ready to reopen. – @PhillyH2O Blog" . Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  7. ↑ Bond, Michaelle (2025-01-30). "Mysterious Manayunk construction | Real Estate Newsletter". Inquirer.com. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  8. ↑ "Reflecting on Hurricane Agnes 50 Years Later". Philadelphia District & Marine Design Center. Archived from the original on 2025-03-10. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  9. ↑ "Hurricanes: Science and Society: 1999- Hurricane Floyd". www.hurricanescience.org. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  10. 1 2 3 "Flooding in Manayunk Neighborhood of Philadelphia" (PDF). December 8, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-09-02.
  11. ↑ "Manayunk floodwaters engulf vehicles, shut down Main Street to traffic". 6abc Philadelphia. 2021-09-02. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  12. ↑ Martens, Melissa (2021-09-02). "Photos: Flooding in Philadelphia in Aftermath of Hurricane Ida". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  13. 1 2 "Venice Island" . Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  14. ↑ "Philadelphia Parks & Recreation | Homepage | City of Philadelphia".


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