Philadelphia Wins EPA Grant To Plan for the Reuse of Brownfield Properties Along Frankford Creek

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Philadelphia as one of 20 communities to receive a grant to conduct a planning study to guide the cleanup and reactivation of brownfield land.  A $200,000 grant to Philadelphia will fund a study for a four- square- mile- area of the Frankford Creek, including sections of the Bridesburg, Frankford, Port Richmond and Juniata Park neighborhoods.  The Philadelphia City Planning Commission applied for the grant, which was announced April 25th, and will manage the planning process.

The grant is the first step  toward reusing formerly industrial properties along Frankford Creek in new and exciting ways, says Gary Jastrzab, Executive Director of the City Planning Commission.  the revitalization of the area was the focus of the recently adopted Philadelphia 2035: Lower Northeast District plan.

The former Coke and Rohm and Haas site, totaling 126 riverfront acres in the Bridesburg neighborhood, present economic development opportunities for waterfront redevelopment and community revitalization.  Similarly, the former site of Edgewater Dyeing and Finishing presents a unique opportunity for creek-side redevelopment in Frankford.  The rehabilitation of brownfield sites will also enable the development of the Frankford Creek Greenway, a greenway that would connect Tacony Creek Park to the North Delaware Riverfront.