PIDC Spotlight: Supporting a Clean and Green City Through Economic Development

by Rachel Hazzard
April 22, 2025

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As Philadelphia continues to grow and evolve, building a more resilient city has never been more important. At PIDC, we believe that economic growth and environmental responsibility go hand in hand. From supporting green infrastructure projects to helping local businesses adopt energy-efficient practices, PIDC is proud to play a key role in driving Philadelphia’s transition to safer, cleaner, greener City!

Through strategic investments and collaborative partnerships, we’re being mindful of our impact on the environment while creating jobs, strengthening communities, and fostering long-term economic vitality.

Creating Bridesburg Riverfront Park

Construction on the Bridesburg Riverfront Park began in October 2023. PIDC structured industrial projects that helped create the 10-acres for the new park, which will provide open space on the Delaware River for a community that has been cut off from the riverfront. The park will include features such as bioretention swales with gravel for stormwater filtration and permeable paths to reduce runoff. Native meadows will support pollinators and welcome back local wildlife. The park will open to the public in July 2025.

Environmental Assessments for PIDC Clients

Polluted and contaminated tracts of land, known as Brownfields, can offer valuable opportunities for remediation and redevelopment. Philadelphia has thousands of acres of these sites, many located near transit corridors and along the waterfront.

To support revitalization, PIDC has leveraged an EPA Brownfields Assessment grant to fund environmental assessments for clients conducting due diligence on industrial, commercial, and mixed-use properties citywide. These assessments are required by lenders to manage risk, but the costs can be a barrier for small businesses with limited resources.

To date, eight clients across a range of industries have been matched with these funds.

Greening Southwest Philadelphia

T5 Trolley Modernization and Streetscape Improvements in Southwest

PIDC is working with SEPTA and the City of Philadelphia on the T5 (formerly Route 36) Trolley Modernization program in Southwest Philadelphia. This initiative is the first step of SEPTA’s broader trolley modernization program, which will make trolleys ADA-accessible and bring faster and more reliable service. In addition, SEPTA, PIDC, and the City are collaborating to make the Grays Avenue-Lindbergh Boulevard corridor cleaner, greener, and safer through investments like improved lighting and benches. PIDC played a key role in helping SEPTA secure $25 million in federal RAISE grant funding for trolley modernization and streetscape improvements on nearly four miles of streets in Southwest Philadelphia.

The project will be implemented over a corridor that spans from the intersection of South 49th Street and Woodland Avenue to the intersection of South 61st Street and Lindbergh Boulevard, as well as South 51st and 56th Streets from Grays Avenue and Lindbergh Boulevard eastward. It will improve safety and mobility for residents, workers, and visitors to the area, including transit users, pedestrians, and cyclists, encouraging more sustainable methods of transportation and improving  access to the Schuylkill River.

61st Street Connector Project

A major step in PIDC’s Lower Schuylkill Master Plan, the 61st Street Connector project will provide truck access to the future Lower Schuylkill Innovation Campus (LSIC) while increasing public access to and utilization of the Bartram’s Mile portion of the Schuylkill River Trail. By connecting the southern terminus of the trail to 61st Street, the Project will enable trail users to access Bartram’s Mile from 61st street, which will allow more people to enjoy the fishing piers, public plazas, and waterfront access that this park provides. In addition, the Connector will serve as a driveway to the future LSIC development, keeping nearby 56th Street safer and cleaner for pedestrians and cyclists traveling to Bartram’s Garden and the river.

Remediation of 1700 S. 49th St

We received a $2 million investment from the EPA and $350K from the Commonwealth of PA Statewide LSA program to support the remediation of 1700 S. 49th Street, a former oil terminal along the Schuylkill River in Southwest Philadelphia. 

By removing contaminated soils and remediating degraded riverfront land, improving soil and groundwater quality of the area, this project provides long-overdue investments in a community that has not received adequate investment or resources and where heavy industrial uses in the area have impacted the surrounding neighborhood.

The remediation of this location will catalyze three revitalization projects: 

  • First, the Lower Schuylkill Innovation Campus, a large-scale economic development and job generating opportunity that seeks to cultivate a world-class urban campus for modern cell and gene therapy bioproduction, building on the city’s strength as a hub for the life sciences while creating family-sustaining jobs.
  • Second, the realignment of a portion of Bartram’s Mile, which is part of the larger Schuylkill River Trail system that will connect local residents to job and recreational opportunities throughout the city, including nearby University City, Center City, and the Navy Yard.
  • And third, Bartram’s Garden’s Field Station, which will focus on workforce development and  research.

Navy Yard

Once a decommissioned military base, the Philadelphia Navy Yard has been reimagined under PIDC’s leadership as a thriving hub for innovation and economic opportunity for all. What was once a shuttered naval shipyard has transformed into a dynamic campus that’s become a national model for green development, attracting cutting-edge companies, clean energy projects, and forward-thinking infrastructure investments.

Today, the Navy Yard received the honor of being named the largest LEED Neighborhood in the country. The LEED Neighborhood Development certification is a testament to the Navy Yard’s commitment to resilient development. With a variety of green infrastructure, including innovative stormwater management, dry ponds, green roofs, and resilient landscaping, the Navy Yard is undoubtedly the greenest neighborhood in Philadelphia, and now the country.

Investing in a Greener Philly

Explore how PIDC can support your business or development project.

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