Here’s some exciting news for many local residents in West and Southwest Philadelphia. Rebuild Philadelphia, the City program that invests hundreds of millions of dollars in improving public spaces and community facilities, is expected to break ground on renovation projects at three recreation centers with over $60 million in investments. Public groundbreakings with the participation of local officials and community members, are scheduled to take place from Sept. 19-22 at Kingsessing Recreation Center, F.J. Myers Recreation Center, and Johnny Sample (Cobbs Creek) Recreation Center.

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In an effort to improve energy efficiency as well as public safety, the City has kicked off construction for the Philly Streetlight Improvement Project, a citywide initiative to replace and connect approximately 130,000 streetlights into a network of more efficient and longer-lasting diode (LED) lights. The project is co-led by the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA).

The 24-month construction project will reduce streetlighting energy use by more than 50 percent and is the single largest energy conservation project the City has undertaken, reducing municipal carbon emissions by more than nine percent.

The upgraded LED lights will be fully controllable through remote monitoring, providing the City instantaneous updates on outages and the ability to dim and brighten fixtures. The improved reliability and performance will support public safety by improving the ability for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists to see at night.

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An artist’s rendering of redeveloped Bartram Village.

A $50 million grant will help revitalize Bartram Village neighborhood in Southwest Philadelphia. The grant was announced last week by U.S. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon.

The grant was awarded to the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) and will be used to rehabilitate and transform affordable housing at Bartram Village, a public housing site located next to historic Bartram’s Garden along the Schuylkill River, as well as make investments to “create a neighborhood that is vibrant, well-connected to services and public transportation, and is safe and welcoming for Philadelphians.”

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The annual SEPTA Trolley maintenance project, Trolley Tunnel Blitz, is scheduled to begin this Friday, July 7.

While trolleys will be on diversion to 40th and Market via 42nd Street, SEPTA crews will be working in the tunnel and at the 40th Street Trolley Portal near 40th and Woodland. A portion of Woodland Avenue immediately west of the gated entrance to The Woodlands cemetery will be closed to vehicular traffic from July 8 to July 24 to accommodate SEPTA crews working on trolley track replacement (see map). Vehicles can only enter the cemetery by traveling west on Woodland Avenue.

In other Woodland Avenue news, it has been revealed that Phase 1 of the Woodland Avenue Complete Streets project, which includes installation of traffic signals and marked pedestrian crosswalks at the intersections of Woodland Avenue with Chester Avenue and near the Woodland Cemetery gates/40th St. Trolley Portal, has been postponed until next year. Design plans and construction contract to be used for this work are currently being finalized.

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Streetscape improvements are in the works for Woodland Avenue between 40th and 42nd streets, and next Thursday, June 15, community members are invited to meet the design team, share thoughts and ask questions (the event has been rescheduled from June 8 due to the hazardous air pollution in Philadelphia). The Woodland Avenue Complete Streets Project pop-up event, organized by Vision Zero, will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Woodlands Cemetery front gates at 40th and Woodland (see the event flyer below).

Streetscape improvements are a part of a larger reconstruction project along Woodland Avenue between 39th and 42nd streets. Some safety improvements, like traffic lights and crosswalks, are expected to be installed at the section of Woodland Avenue near The Woodlands cemetery and the intersection with Chester Avenue later this year. To read more about the project phases and what they include, click here. Continue Reading

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Community Resource Hub was held on Wednesday.

After more than two years in development and construction, a new Community Resource Hub has opened at 277 South 52nd St. The grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by state and local officials, like State Sen. Vincent  Hughes and City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, was held on Wednesday. The new three-story structure replaced a dilapidated former business.

The project represents a significant milestone for The Enterprise Center  Community Development Corporation as the organization moves into a new phase of growth and larger strategic reinvestment plan for the historic 52nd Street commercial corridor.

The new Community Resource Hub will house offices for The Enterprise Center CDC on the first floor, extending outreach for business services along the corridor. The second and third floors will house market rate apartments, providing housing for individuals living and working along the corridor. The Enterprise Center is planning to utilize this model for more projects. Continue Reading