Graffiti Pier is technically closed to the public after a portion of the structure collapsed in to the Delaware River – not that that's really stopped anyone from visiting in the past.
The U.S. Coast Guard first received reports at 6:25 a.m. Wednesday that a 10-20 foot section at the end of the pier had fallen into the water. The public found out a few hours later, when a video of the collapse was shared on Reddit. The Philadelphia Police and Fire Department found no signs of distress and said no one had been injured or reported missing.
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As of Friday morning, the main entrance to the pier was taped off and workers could be seen welding a portion of the structure near the pier's entrance. Philadelphia Police declined to share whether they have been patrolling the area, but a nearby resident said she had seen police there almost every day since Wednesday. However, people have said on social media that they've been able to get inside, anyway.
Though people frequently visit the Philadelphia landmark, the pier is privately owned by Conrail and technically not open to the public. But its closure historically has not been enforced, so the pier's entrance may appear little different to frequent visitors in its current state.
Conrail did not return messages seeking comment.
"What has been done is that the section of it that is collapsed, and where it did break, it has been taped off and secured," a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson said. "Nobody's allowed to go past it, but as far as it being closed or open, it's not technically usually open to the public. However, that's not to say it doesn't stop people from still going there anyway, for sure."
In 2019, the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation announced plans to purchase the pier from Conrail and turn the space into a public park. Last year, the project received $2 million in government funds to support early construction costs, but it remained in the planning stage. When complete, it is expected to include shoreline, pathway and lighting upgrades, and feature more canvasses for graffiti artists to paint.
For now, it's unclear what this week's collapse means for the future of the pier, DRWC President Joe Forkin said in an email.
"It is too soon for us to determine how this will impact DRWC's acquisition and future development of the Pier, but it is our strong hope that we can continue working with Conrail, who are the current owners of the property, to finalize the long anticipated purchase agreement that will ultimately allow DRWC to provide meaningful public space for the community in and around the Graffiti Pier property," Forkin said.
The Coast Guard spokesperson said the pier collapse remains under investigation and that there's no update on what might have caused the collapse. Design firm Studio Zewde, which was hired to turn the pier into a park, declined to answer questions about the structure. But when the park's plans were revealed in 2020, the studio said the park's design would include upgraded sea walls due to water levels rising, noting that a "100-year-storm" would completely flood the area.