PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The William Penn Foundation is donating five million dollars to the city to spruce up the Delaware River waterfront, including better access for pedestrians. 

The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation is pushing forward with a huge master plan to develop the river’s edge, and officials say this five million dollar William Penn Foundation grant will help jumpstart certain aspects of it. 

President Tom Corcoran says this includes improving the area of Race Street connecting Old City to the soon-to-open Race Street Pier. “We want this Race Street Pier and the connector to serve as a great example of how to create new parks at key intersections along the river, and then connect these parks under 95 back to the adjacent neighborhoods.”

The rest of the William Penn Foundation grant will go to other connector improvements, as well as for new parks and trails.

Reported by Mike Dunn, KYW Newsradio