appendix_schuylkill river district rfp.pdf

8/10/2019 Appendix_Schuylkill River District RFP.pdf

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Title PageMaster Plan Study for the

Lower Schuylkill River District:

Existing Conditions Appendix


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I. Overview

Source: Pictometry


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Aerial of Study Area

Source: Google Earth

Interstate 76

Interstate 95

Passyunk Avenue

Lindbergh

Boulevard

Satellite imagery of the study area

shows its heavy industrial nature, large

and oddly configured parcels, and

assortment of highways, interchanges,

and rail. The labels on the map show

the streets that comprise the area

boundaries as well as the three bridges

that cross the river in the study area.

Grays Ferry

Avenue

Penrose Avenue


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Industrial Areas in Philadelphia County

Northeast

Lawncrest

Roxborough

Parkside

Southwest Grays Ferry

South Delaware

Callowhill

Northern Liberties

American Street

Lower North Delaware

Upper North

Delaware

Hunting ParkWest Hunting Park East

Aramingo

Source: Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation

The Lower Schuylkill River District

represents a combination of the Grays

Ferry and Southwest industrial districts

analyzed in the Philadelphia Industrial

Land and Market Strategy. The study

area contains 20% of the citys industrial

land and 68% of the citys underutilized

industrial land.


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Key Infrastructure

CSX Eastside/TransfloIntermodal Yard

I-76

Port of

Philadelphia

I-95

CSX GreenwicIntermodal Yar

Amtrak NortheastCorridor

25th StreetViaduct

Infrastructure that runs through or

surrounds the study area includes rail,

airport, seaport, highway, and gas and oil

pipelines (underground and above-ground)

These assets will support additional

industrial development, but often bisect

neighborhoods and limit public access and

connectivity.

Source: Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, Philadelphia City Planning Commission,Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

Philadelphia

International Airport


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Primary Land Uses

Source: Philadelphia City Planning Commission

This map shows the primary land use

zones in the project area: industrial on

both sides of the river, Auto Mall in bright

red on Essington Avenue, and residential

pockets scattered across the perimeter.

The Planning Commission is updating this

data as it conducts its district plans, which

is why the east side has more specific use

classifications than the west.


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Primary Site Ownership


PIDC

Sunoco

Philadelphia Gas Works

Point Breeze Terminal

U.S. Postal Service

University of the Sciences

Woodlands Cemetery

University of Pennsylvania

Redevelopment Authority

Phila. Housing Authority

City of Philadelphia

Army Corps of Engineers

Philadelphia Regional Port

Authority

Most of the land in the study area is

owned by industrial and utility interests.

Also present are expanded institutional

interests from University City and a

smattering of publicly-owned land. The

text bubbles show on-site operations

information that is more specific than the

parcel ownership data conveys.

BartramVillage

BiosolidsRecyclingCenter

BartramsGarden

Sunoco

PhiladelphiaWholesaleProduce Market

Philadelphia

Navy Yard


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Public Sector Ownership


While most land in the study area is

privately owned and operated, there

are important portions of public sector

ownership. These include parcels at both

the northern end near University City

and the southern end near Philadelphia

International Airport. Ownership data will

be updated as part of the Master Plan and

is subject to change.

Public Sector Ownership

Private Sector Ownership


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Parcel Plan


This map illustrates the range of parcel

sizes and configurations that make up the

study area. The parcel sizes on the east

side are generally larger than on the west

side. The limited number of rowhouses

in the study area are dwarfed by their

industrial and commercial neighbors.


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Spotlight: Industrial History

The Lower Schuylkill River District hasplayed a vital role in Philadelphias richhistory as the United States rst majorindustrial city dating back to the early19th century. The opening of what isnow Sunocos Philadelphia Renery

complex in the 1860s makes it thenations oldest continuously operating

renery. The long history of heavyindustrial businesses in the project areacontinues to this day with the dominantland use in the study area being oilrening, storage and distribution.

Other forms of manufacturing inthe study area became prominent

during World Wars I and II with theincreased demand for ships, trains,and other items to support militaryefforts. Businesses that opened alongthe Lower Schuylkill in the early20th century include US Gypsum(a gypsum board manufacturingfacility), National Heat and Power(a petroleum marketing terminal),M.A.B. Paints (manufacturer ofresidential, commercial, and industrial

coatings), and Transmontaigne (apetroleum bulk storage and blendingfacility). However, industrialbusinesses began shutting down orleaving Philadelphia for surroundingcounties in the 1950s. The exodus of

business from Philadelphia followeda national trend of suburbanization of

residential, commercial, and industrialdevelopment with the increasedstreamlining of automobile productionand the construction of the nationalhighway system. Most of the businessesin the study area were served via bargeand rail, so the additional emphasison roadway development exacerbated

this decline. In order to minimize thepopulation loss, federal urban renewaldollars contributed to new suburban-style residential development withinthe city, including development innearby Eastwick. This urban renewalproject also included the creation ofthe industrial park between LindberghBoulevard and Essington Avenuewithin the study area. While thisdevelopment brought some industrial

activity back to the study area, it wnot able to curb the massive net losmanufacturing jobs, the remnantswhich the study area and the city awhole are still trying to rectify.

Addressing the study areas extensindustrial legacy and subsequenvironmental contamination is critfor future development and the creatof a Master Plan for the study aEnvironmental issues pose constraon what can be built in the study abecause most sites once contaiheavy industrial or manufacturing uat a time that predates the regulatof hazardous chemicals and materiSince many sites have been vacantunderutilized since the ight of indusin the 1950s, minimal remediation been completed. In addition, thare market constraints on what be built because of the signicpublic sector investment neefor remediation and the irreguparcel congurations left by previindustrial uses. There is also a lackintegrated transportation networksthe study area, as highways, ramps

feeder streets dictate the movemof goods and people and freight trenches create grade change issues limits access to certain portions of study area. In this respect, the LowSchuylkill is an area that many peopass through because of its intermoroad and rail access, but fewer peoare actually directly served by businesses. Further, the land has binaccessible for so long because ofheavy industrial use that progress

approaches to new development hnot been considered.

Sources: Weigley, Philadelphia: A 300-Y

History; City of Philadelphia Industrial L

Atlas; PennPlanning Lower Southw

District Workshop Report, Spring 20

Workshop of the World; Natural Muse

of American History.


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Spotlight: Current Built Environment

Though there are a variety of usesand scales in the 3,700-acre studyarea, a few trends stand out. First andforemost, heavy industry dominates,as it has done for 150 years. Second,the agglomeration of businesses

and operations are sprawling withlarge parcel sizes and auto-dominantcongurations uncharacteristic ofmuch of the rest of Philadelphia.

Eastern Side

The most dominant presence in thestudy area is Sunoco, whose 1,175-acre oil renery and storage facilitiesoccupy 32 percent of the study area.Sunoco reports that it processes over300,000 barrels of crude oil into fueleach day at this renery, the majorityof which is located on the eastern shoreof the Schuylkill River. While Sunocoowns 66 percent of the east side of thestudy area, its operations have shrunkin recent years, and large parcels such

as its 250-acre North Yard site appearlargely inactive.

This North Yard is anked on eitherside by equally inaccessible industrial-related uses: CSXs Eastside/TransoYard to the north, with up to 29 paralleltracks at its widest, and PhiladelphiaGas Works Passyunk Plant to the

south (50 acres). These sites are largelyisolated and so large that the rivercannot even be seen from their borders.There are active uses south of Sunocoon the east side of the river, includingwaste management and a tug and

towing service.

At the northern end of the study areasits a FedEx distribution center, aPhilly Trolley Works parking lot withadjacent riverfront access, and the 23-acre Marshall Labs site at 34th Streetand Grays Ferry Avenue, a former paintplant operated by DuPont since WorldWar I that was recently purchased bythe University of Pennsylvania.

Western Side

The west side of the study area, whilestill dominated by tank elds, has amore diverse array of uses and parcelsizes. With Philadelphia InternationalAirport just south of the study area,

many automobile-dependent anddistribution-related businesses occupythis stretch of Southwest Philadelphia.Most notable is the United States PostalService Processing & DistributionCenter, a 930,000 square foot $300million dollar facility built on a 50-acresite on Lindbergh Boulevard between70th Street and Island Avenue. There

are many other active industrial sisouth of 70th Street in PIDCs EastwA industrial park (Pepsi, M&M, Heretc.). North of 70th Street to 63rd Stris occupied by the Philadelphia AuMall, a string of car dealerships on t

west side of Essington Avenue. Acrfrom the Auto Mall lies the newcompleted Philadelphia WholesProduce Market, a 667,000 square frefrigerated wholesale facility tprovides fruit, vegetable, and produtrading to the region. North of 6Street is dened by a string of vacancsurrounding a tangle of freight apassenger rail infrastructure, residenneighborhoods, and Bartrams Gardthe oldest surviving botanical gardin North America. Industry that sexists in this section includes HOil and Haines & Kibblehouse,construction materials and contractcompany. PIDC is currently workwith Philadelphia Parks and Recreatto create trail extensions along parcthat PIDC owns both north and souof the Garden.

Due to the study areas isolation fr

residential and large parcel sizes,has become the default location many uses that would not otherwt in Philadelphias dense residenneighborhoods or compact commerccorridors. This phenomenon most visible on 61st Street aPassyunk Avenue just west of tPassyunk Avenue Bridge. South a commercial strip mall with varioadult entertainment uses, the aincludes a string of auto repair sho

and scrap yards. Another example in the wedge of land between the PlBridge, I-95 and the Schuylkill Riverthe southern end of the study area. Tarea does not have a fully connecstreet network, and consists oflocal police communications towerconcrete manufacturing plant, a dredspoil disposal facility operated by tU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, athe Philadelphia Biosolids RecyclCenter.


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Economic Anchors

Despite the large-scale, heavyindustrial uses within the study area,there are economic centers nearbythat represent opportunities for newdevelopment trends in the future.One is the Airport, located just on theother side of I-95 from the study area.

PHL has nearly 500,000 total ightmovements annually, ranking it 11thin the world. It has seen $1 billionin capital improvements since 2000,and it has a capacity expansion plan toadd a new runway and terminal thatwill likely boost development in thestudy area, as new businesses arriveand existing companies relocate dueto displacement during construction.Opportunities also exist for modernand green industry, research and

development, and public access to theriverfront. For example, just east of thestudy area lies the 345,000 square footLEED-certied Tasty Baking facility.This is just one component of theNavy Yard revitalization, which hasbrought 80 companies, 8,000 jobs andover $500 million in public and privateinvestment to create a state-of-the-artemployment center in Philadelphia.

Southward development pressure from

institutions in University City maypush research and development, andlogistics and administrative functionsthat serve this type of activity, torelocate within the study area. PennsPenn Connects master plan called forcampus expansion on former UnitedStates Postal Service property along theSchuylkill River just north of the studyarea, which Penn purchased in 2007.Penns purchase of the Marshall Labssite and Childrens Hospitals purchaseof the JFK Vocational Technical Schoolbuilding are signs that the research andmedical institutions of University Cityare moving across the Schuylkill forfuture development. Also within thestudy area is a part of the Universityof the Sciences, which representsanother institution that could spureconomic development in the studyarea. This shows general growthshifting southward and eastward, a

new direction for these important

employment and knowledge centers.Lastly, sites at the northern end of thestudy area are less than 10 minutesaway from Center City, the third largestdowntown in the country and hometo 9,000 businesses and 264,000 jobs.Center City has strong concentrationsof businesses in nancial, insurance,real estate, engineering and legal

services, as well as health care and

education. This close proximity makesthe study area a critical expansion areafor businesses that serve the regionsprime job and economic center.

Recreational and Residential

The Schuylkill River DevelopmentCorporation (SRDC) is nearingcompletion of the stretch of theSchuylkill River Trail (a 100-milemulti-use trail that runs along almostthe full length of the river) around theMarshall Labs site. Though the trailcurrently terminates at Locust Street inCenter City, SRDC is working to extendthe trail south and eventually across tothe west side of the river down to FortMifin. The proposed trail extensionwould traverse the study area.

The limited residential that existsin the study area is dwarfed by its

industrial neighbors. There is one

affordable housing complex manaby the Philadelphia Housing Authoin the study area (Bartram VillageLindbergh Boulevard), and two east of the study area across from I-I-76 generally buffers the industuses from existing residential, but exception is Forgotten Bottom, a smpocket of residential developm

located just west of I-76. Th

few blocks have battled problewith crime and vacancy, thouinll development and rowhorehabilitation has increased as pressufrom Center City and University Chave made this area more attractto developers. Portions of SouthwPhiladelphia neighborhoods are in study area, particularly along LindbeBoulevard north of 61st Street. Finanorth of Bartrams Garden are portiof West Shore and Spruce Hill, former a largely African-Amerineighborhood that has experiendevelopment pressures from Univerof the Sciences, and the latter a formstreetcar suburb now stabilized due recent surge in homeownership boosby Penns efforts to encourage facuand staff to live in West Philadelphi

Sources: City of Philadelphia Industrial L

Atlas; Philadelphia Inquirer; Philadelp

Regional Port Authority.


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Spotlight: Industrial-Legacy Areas

As part of its Citywide Vision for2035, the Philadelphia City PlanningCommission identies nine Industrial-Legacy Areas as prime opportunitiesfor new industrial development becauseof their numerous industrial-conducive

qualities, such as the relatively largeamounts of available land, existingutility infrastructure, transportationaccess, and proximity to diverse laborand customer markets. The goal forPhiladelphia2035 is that new industrialzoning classications and focusedplanning would make these zones thebest opportunities for future economicdevelopment efforts. The LowerSchuylkill is one such Industrial-Legacy Area, which means that newand modern industrial development ispart of the Citys vision for the site.

The Citywide Vision notes thatdifferent parts of the site can serve arange of potential activities dependingon the proximity to a variety ofeconomic centers, including CenterCity, University City, the Navy Yard,the Sports Complex, and PhiladelphiaInternational Airport. Specically, the

vision states that land close to CenterCity and University City could betargeted for institutional, ofce, andrecreational uses. Tracts close to theNavy Yard, Airport and Sports Complexcan host complementary uses suchas hotels, ofce, and transportationservices. Other tracts may be dedicatedto utility, industry, and environmentalmanagement uses. The PhiladelphiaIndustrial Land and Market Strategysimilarly recommends uses tied to

research institutions at the northernend of the site, new distribution andwarehousing on the Sunoco North Yardand in the Eastwick B industrial park,and increased industrial developmentto the west of the Philadelphia NavyYard.

Source: Philadelphia2035: Citywide Vision;

Philadelphia Industrial Land and Market

Strategy.


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Photos

Point Breeze Terminal, approximately 63rd

Street and Passyunk Avenue, looking

south

Penrose Plaza Shopping Center, Island

Avenue, looking southwest

Lindbergh Boulevard between 73rd and

74th Streets, looking north


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II. Context: Economic


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Economic Clusters

University City

Medical, Education,and Research

65,000 Jobs

Center City Business and

Culture

264,000 Jobs

PhiladelphiaInternational Airport

Transportation and

Business 42,000 Jobs

Port ofPhiladelphia

Shipping and

Distribution

1,945 Jobs

Philadelphia Navy Yard Industry, R&D, and Green

Business Campus

8,000 Jobs

One of the study areas biggest assets is

its proximity to important employment

centers and regional economic drivers.

These include leaders in research

and development (University City),

transportation centers (airport, seaport)

and a new green industry hub (Navy Yard).

Source: Center City District, University City District, Philadelphia Industrial DevelopmenCorporation, Philadelphia International Airpor

Research and Development

Office

Transportation

Shipping and Distribution

Philadelphia Navy Yard


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Industrial-Related Employment

Source: Hoovers, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, Philadelphia International Airport, PlanPhilly, Southwest GlobeTimes, Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, Philadelphia Business Journa

More than

10,000

2001-10,000

1001-2000

501-1000

201-500

101-200

50-10011-50

01-10

These general figures show the

largest employment centers in and

around the study area. This data is

not comprehensive. For example,

employment figures on specific Sunoco

operations and businesses within the

Airport are missing from this map.

BartashPrinting, Inc.

(225 Employees)

UPS Inc(200 Employees)

USPS(3000 Employees)

Philadelphia WholesaleProduce Market

(1560 Employees)

Sunoco

(900 Employees)

Herman Goldner

Company, Inc(225 Employees)

Linde, LLC(185 Employees)

FedEx, Inc(180 Employees)

USPS

(350 Employees)

American Airlines, Inc(260 Employees)

Aker PhiladelphiaShipyard

(400-1000 Employees)

Urban Outfitters

(1300 Employees)

US Navy

(2340Employe

Tasty Baking Co

(740 Employees)

Philadelphia

Navy Yard(Approx. 8000Total Empoyees)

PhiladelphiaInternational Airport

(Approx 42,000 TotalEmployees)


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Vacant and Underutilized


Vacant Land

Vacant Buildings

Largely Underutilized Land

There are about 580 acres of vacant land

and buildings in the study area, about

16% of the total land area. Hundreds of

additional acres, about 15% of the total

project area, contain some operations but

are largely underutilized, most notably the

254-acre Sunoco North Yard. Please note

that acreage numbers are approximate.

12 Acres

23 Acres

15 Acres

19 Acres

119 Acres

11 Acres

22 Acres


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Spotlight: PHL Capacity Expansion Program

Philadelphia International Airport(PHL) is owned and operated by theCity of Philadelphia. It serves thirtyscheduled passenger airlines, six cargoairlines, and general aviation. In 2007,PHL handled approximately 499,683

aircraft operations and 32 millionpassengers. In 2009, PHL handled433,439 tons of cargo, and it projectsthat cargo volume will continue togrow 4.6% annually. In 2007, it wasthe tenth busiest airport in the U.S.in terms of operations, yet it has thesmallest land area among peer airports.

The Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) has identied PHL as one ofthe airports contributing to delaysthroughout the National AirspaceSystem (NAS). The airports capacity

is limited by insufcient primaryrunway separation and insufcientsecondary runway length. Analyses ofthe forecasted passenger and aircraft

activity levels determined that thenumbers and durations of delayedoperations at PHL would continue toincrease from their current averagelevel of nearly 10 minutes per operationto nearly 20 minutes per operationin 2025. The Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) identies PHLas a pacing airport, which means thatight congestion contributes to delaysthroughout the national airport system.

PHL has a plan to build an additionalrunaway to accommodate increasedtrafc and reduce wait times. Despitecontroversy about proposals for landacquisition, the Environmental ImpactStatement (EIS) for the Capacity

Enhancement Program (CEP) has beenapproved and the program is expected tobegin in 2013 with construction likelystarting by 2016. Construction wouldconsist mainly of lling a portion of theDelaware River needed to build a fullnew runway, creating an automatedpeople mover to transport passengersbetween terminals, demolition andreconstruction of Terminals B, C, andF, extending existing runways andexpanded parking and baggage claimfacilities. The resulting growth willincrease PHL from 2.5 million square

feet, 120 gates and 32 million passengersto 3.6 million square feet, 145-150gates and 52.2 million passengers by2030. Overall, PHL will grow from

about 492,000 total operations in 2008(passenger and freight) to about 686,000total operations in 2025.

The Pennsylvania Departmentof Environmental Protectionand United States Army Corps ofEngineers require that any large-scale construction that leads to theloss of wetland and/or waterwayfunctions also include compensatory

measures such as restoring old adegraded wetlands and creating nwetlands in upland areas to mitigand restore the functionality lost dto the development. Twenty potenmitigation sites were identied in t

EIS (see map later in the Appendix), of which are located within the stuarea. PHL notes that these locatioare preliminary and subject to chang

The current expansion plan inclua number of property acquisitioincluding relocating the United StaPostal Service facility on the southend of the Airport, pieces of the ArCorps Dredge Disposal Facility, and 1acres of privately owned land eastthe Airport and south of I-95. Finathe construction of the new runwwill require the closure of the 60Street freight track currently operaby Conrail. Though abandoned several years, the CEP includes a planrelocate this freight rail connectionthe Airport by reactivating two milesvacated rail which currently run alothe eastern edge of the Airport and the Schuylkill River before terminat

at 61st Street. Though rail track ssits on a large part of the alignmethe northern stretch is mainly lwith abandoned cars. The new lwould link back to SEPTAs AirpRegional Rail Line, which will allaccess to freight yards south and wof the Airport. While this propofreight rail extension was approved the FAA, more detailed research inproperty acquisition and exact traalignment must be done before t

plan is nalized. The rail relocatplan will be better dened as the Cevolves.

Source: Philadelphia International Airpo


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Spotlight: Philadelphia Navy Yard

The Navy Yard is a diverse industrialand commercial employment centerat the southern edge of Philadelphia.After operating for 120 years as a hub fornaval logistics and ship manufacturing,the Naval Shipyard closed in 1996.

A Community Reuse Plan issued bythe Mayors Commission on DefenseConversion guided the investment anddevelopment efforts in the transitionfrom 1994-2004. In 2000, the Navytransferred 1,000 acres of the 1,200-acresite (roughly the size of Center City) toPIDC as the rst step towards realizingthe economic development goals laidout in the Community Reuse Plan. Thegoal of the master plan is to leverage$2 billion in private investment andsupport more than 20,000 jobs at fullbuild-out.

The original Navy Yard was plannedas a dense community, including acomplete street grid that breaks downmost of the area into manageable block

sizes with historic structures that oncehoused naval ofcials or shipping-related factories and facilities. Whilethe master plan imagines a mixed-useextension of the city, the initial effortsfocus on building the employmentbase. Since 2004, many of the historic

naval building have been retrottedto create a modern, state-of-the-artemployment center. The investmenttotals $500 million in public and privateinvestments bringing 80 employers andover 8,000 jobs to the Navy Yard.

Although the ofcial Naval Shipyardclosed in 1996, the Navy remains oneof the biggest employers ongoing navalresearch and development. The formernaval shipyard is now a commercialshipyard, operated by Aker, whichemploys over 1,300 people in one ofthe most modern shipbuilding facilitiesin the country. Another notabledevelopment is Tasty Baking Co.s newmanufacturing facility in 2010 thatanchors the west side of the Navy Yard.Urban Outtters, headquartered in amulti-building adaptive reuse, is locatedin the historic core. Other notableemployers relocating to the Navy Yardinclude Vitetta Architecture, AppTecLaboratory Services, a pharmaceutical

manufacturing company, and PENNCapital Management, a nancialservices rm moving from Cherry Hill.

The two most recent developmentsto break ground at the Navy Yardare GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the

Greater Philadelphia InnovatCluster (GPIC). GSK is relocating Center City ofces and constructinnew building with a smaller footpriGPIC, one of three innovation clustin the country, is a project of t

United States Department of Enethat brings together a broad coalitionmulti-sector partners led by Penn StUniversity to research and implemimprovements in building eneefciency. Department of Energy aother federal agencies are award$130 million over the next seven yeto GPIC in order to research, deveand commercialize technologies make buildings more efcient. This sof collaboration represents the typesustainable industry and developmPIDC would like to foster at the NaYard.

Sources: Philadelphia Indus

Development Corporation; Urban L

Institute; PlanPhilly; Delaware Valley Gre

Building Council; Philadelphia Busin

Journal.


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Spotlight: Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market

Located on Essington Avenuein Southwest Philadelphia, thePhiladelphia Wholesale ProduceMarket is a modern, state-of-the-artrefrigerated facility that provides amplespace for the regions fruit, vegetable,and produce trading. Built using $218million in public and private funds,the Market houses almost 20 acresunder one roof. Opened in June 2011to replace the outdated, open-airfacility near the Sports Complex inSouth Philadelphia, the Market housesover 200 full refrigerated docks, an18,000 square foot recycling center,and a skylight running the length andwidth of the building. It is the largest

refrigerated system built in the countryto date.

The main value in the new facilityis that it maintains optimal producetemperature through the entireshipment and distribution process,from the refrigerated trucks to theloading docks to the cold storage andeventually to the home, supermarketor restaurant. The market is open tothe public with a central concourse for

shoppers, and offers discounted optionsfor those interested in purchasingwholesale.

In a stretch of Southwest Philadelphiathat mainly consists of underperformingcommercial uses, the Produce Marketpresents an opportunity for similar orcomplementary ventures to be attractedto the area.

Sources: Philadelphia Regional Port

Authority; Philadelphia Wholesale ProduceMarket; Philadelphia Inquirer.


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Photos

Pepsi Bottling Group, Eastwick Industrial

Park A, 78th Street and Holstein Avenue,

looking northeast

United States Postal Service, Lindbergh

Boulevard and 74th Street, looking south

Birds eye view of the northern end of the

study area and its proximity to University

City employment center, looking north


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II. Context: Transportation


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Highways and Truck Routes

Major Truck Route

4 Lane or Wider Non-Truck Route

Highway Ramp

Source: Philadelphia Industrial Development CorporationPennsylvania Department of Transportation

This map shows the highways, arterial

roads, and routes designed as truck-

friendly by the Pennsylvania Department

of Transportation. While the study area

is flanked by two of Philadelphias major

highways, there are relatively few arterials

that run through the study area.

Baltimore Ave

Passyunk Ave

Island Ave

Washington Ave

Oregon Ave

Essington Ave

I-76

I-95

Pattison Ave

Penrose Ave


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Freight Rail

Source: Philadelphia Industrial Development CorporationDelaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

Philadelphia is served by three Class

1 railroad operators, all of which have

trackage rights within the study area.

CSX owns most of the track within the

study area and sends dozens of trains

through the study area daily. The possible

extension through the study area is part

of the Airport expansion plan.

Active Freight Rail

Proposed Freight Rail Extension

Penn Coach Yards /Northeast Corridor

CSX Eastside /Transflo Yard

Proposed FreightExtension

Canadian PacificBulk Facility

CSX GreenwichIntermodal Facility

Norfolk Southern

Mustin Field Rail Yard


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Public Transportation Routes

Source: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Amtrak

Regional Rail

Subway

Trolley

Bus

Amtrak

Neighborhoods around the study area are

served by buses, trolleys, and commuter

Regional Rail lines. However, access to

public transportation within the study area

itself is limited.

Market Frankford

Line

Amtrak

Route 34

NewarkLine

Elwyn Line

Route 11

Route 13

Route 36

PhiladelphiaInternational

Airport

Airport Line

BroadStreet

Line


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Public Transportation Access

500 From Bus Stop

1/4 Mile From Trolley Route

1/4 From Subway Stop

1/4 Mile From Regional Rail Stop

1/2 Mile From Regional Rail Stop

Source: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority

This map shows that very little of the

study area is well-served by transit. One

trolley line terminates within the study

area, and a handful of bus lines pass

through. Additional transit access may be

needed for successful redevelopment to

occur.

Route 34

NewarkLine

Elwyn Line

Route 11

Route 13

Route 36

Airport Line


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Barriers to Access

Highway

Elevated Rail

Rail Trench

Surface Rail

Source: Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Transportation, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

25th StreetRail Viaduct

I-95

I-76

CSX Line

CSX Line

Amtrak

CSX Yard

While the study area has access to

important infrastructure such as highway

and freight rail, these assets also serve

as barriers to development and access

through the study area. Most sites

themselves are impenetrable because

they are privately owned, and there are

currently no public access points to the

river south of Bartrams Garden.


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Local Transit Ridership

Source: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Federal AviationAdministration, Amtrak

Data from 2008 shows that despite the

lack of overall access to public transit,

some of the largest ridership lines go

through the study area. The 36 trolley is

the highest-trafficked of the six trolley

lines. Also noteable is the G bus, which

connects Overbrook to South Philadelphia.


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Data from 2008 shows that two of the

most heavily-trafficked gateways through

Philadelphia (PHL and 30th Street Station)

and two of the rail stations with the

lowest passenger numbers in the SEPTA

network (Angora and 49th Street) are

located very close to the study area.

Regional Transit Ridership

Source: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Federal AviationAdministration, Amtrak


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Spotlight: Freight Rail Infrastructure

The fact that Philadelphia is one of thefew American ports served by threeClass 1 railroads is nowhere moreevident than in the Lower SchuylkillDistrict. Rail tracks crisscross throughand weave around the study area,

providing excellent transportationinfrastructure that could serve futureindustrial uses. All tracks in the studyarea are owned by CSX, though NorfolkSouthern (NS) and Canadian Pacic (CP)both have trackage rights over them as

well. Freight planning studies by theDelaware Valley Regional PlanningCommission have suggested marketingthe area as a freight village to promotethe close proximity of airport, seaport,and freight rail facilities, and work toincrease coordination between modesto maximize access options.

While most freight trafc on the eastside of the Schuylkill is local and

stopping in Philadelphia, most trafcon the west side is through trafc. Atthe northern end of the site, CSXsEastside/Transo Yard sees multipletrains per day, including intermodaltrafc such as garbage transport as

well as liquid chemicals and plasticsprocessing that are then transferred totrucks for local delivery. CSX sends 20trains per day across the Schuylkill toits intermodal terminal in Darby, and isin the process of obtaining clearance to

run double-stackedtrains from itsGreenwich Yard inSouth Philadelphiato Trenton( G r e e n w i c hcurrently serves theport and acts as adistribution facilityfor Delaware andSouthern NewJersey). Both NS andCP have facilities inSouth Philadelphiaas well, thoughthey rely more ontheir holdings in

suburban areas. Allthree operators sendd o u b l e - s t a c k e dtrains down to theport using the 25thStreet viaduct,which is ownedby CSX and whoseexterior structureis in need of repair.In total, CSX runsthe largest number

of trains through the area. There islittle interdependence between the railand seaport at this time, but with thePhiladelphia Regional Port Authoritysplan to expand Southport along theDelaware River, there is potential formore coordination that could lead tothe expansion of freight trafc later inthe decade.

The existing industrial activity

and proposed expansions in pdevelopment mean that freight rcould be an important part of the stuareas future development. There a few companies in the study area tcurrently use the rail, including Suno

and the US Army Corps of Engineethe latter of which ships dredge spoover rail because they are too heafor trucks to transport. Besides thusers, direct activity in the study ais limited as Class 1 operators focus intermodal trips and local businessesnot nd it economically advantageoto use rail over truck distributiHowever, short line operators cobe interested in some of the smalstretches if they are economicafeasible, including the relocation the 60th Street line that is part of runway expansion plan at PhiladelpInternational Airport (see spotligabout this plan earlier in the documen

Sources: Walker Allen and Ted Dahlbu

Delaware Valley Regional Plann

Commission; DVRPC Long-Range Vis

for Freight.


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Photos

Route 36 trolley, Island Avenue and

Lindbergh Boulevard, looking northwest

CSX freight rail tracks, 58th Street

between Eastwick Avenue and the

Schuylkill River, looking southwest

Interstate 76, Vare Avenue and Mifflin

Street, looking northwest


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IV. Context: Environmental


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Topography

Source: Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access

Most of the study area is flat and of the

same elevation, with some exceptions

along the northern end around Bartrams

Garden and Woodlands Cemetery. The

location of the topography change may

also be attributed to the location of the

fall line that runs through the study area

between the Piedmont region to the west

and the Coastal Plan region to the east.0 Elevation 160 Elevation


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Floodplains

Historic Stream

100 Yr Flood Plain

500 Yr Flood Plain

Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Philadelphia Water Department

The southern part of the study area sits

mainly in the floodplain, including all of

Philadelphia International Airport and the

large-scale commercial and industrial

development in Eastwick. None of these

historic streams currently exist at the

surface, though the Water Department

has restored part of Mingo Creek under

the Platt Bridge.


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National Heritage Inventory and Wetland Opportunities

Possible PHL Wetland Site

NHI Medium Priority Land

NHI High Priority Land

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, PhiladelphiaInternational Airpor

Portions of the study area were identified

by PA DCNRs Natural Heritage Inventory

as unprotected lands of high and medium

priority for ecological restoration. The

Airport is also looking at parts of the

study area to create or restore wetlands

to rebuild the vegetated rivers edge they

plan to remove as part of their runway

expansion.


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Spotlight: Site Contamination

Though no comprehensiveenvironmental assessment has beendone of the entire 3700-acre studyarea, site contamination is one of themajor barriers to development. Thereare several underground pipelines

gas and petroleum that run underthe Airport runways and likely alongthe Schuylkill. Evidence of industrialcontamination has been found inenvironmental assessments conductedon properties along the western side ofthe Schuylkill in the study area.

The impact of oil rening is just oneaspect of the potential contaminationof this area: many other industrial usesare present (and used to be present) that

use hazardous chemicals and materials.Further, much of the building stockand industrial machinery that existsin the study area is either outdated or

built under different standards for airquality and environmental impacts.Tests for materials containing asbestos,PCBs and other indicators will need tobe conducted before certain sites can bereused. The time, cost and knowledge

associated with the assessments forhazardous materials as well as the costof the physical remediation work meansthat the public sector must be involvedfor the successful redevelopmentof these formerly industrial sites.The signicant upfront costs forenvironmental remediation may deterprivate sector involvement, thereforepublic investment is needed in order tocatalyze private development.

As an example, the formerTransMontaigne site, which PIDC isin the process of acquiring, used to bea petroleum bulk storage and blending

facility. In fact, there are signs justthe north of this site indicating toil still runs under the site throuunderground pipelines. PIDC working with PADEP on a cleanplan for this site with the eventual g

of making the site suitable for futuindustrial use with a recreational tralong the rivers edge.

Conducting survey research for entire study area at this time wouldpremature. However, the incorporatof environmental remediation paramount to a successful plan for tarea. More detailed environmenanalysis will be performed as specsites are developed.

Sources: Public Involvement P

Transmontaigne/US Gypsum (PAID, J

2011); Department of Conservation

Natural Resources.

Spotlight: Schuylkill Banks

While East Fairmount Park has providedgenerous protected green space along

the Philadelphias upper SchuylkillRiver for centuries, the Schuylkill RiverDevelopment Corporation has beenworking to construct new connectionsto the Schuylkill River Trail throughCenter City Philadelphia and acrossthe western banks of the river to FortMifin. Completed incrementallyover the last 15 years, Schuylkill Banksprovides a key link for the hundredsof thousands of Center City residentsand employees to the remainder of the

Trail, which extends 23 miles to ValleyForge National Historic Park andfurther north to the headwaters.

The extension of the trail throughCenter City was established over timethrough successful coordination withprivate landowners. The City beganby constructing a bulkhead along theriver in 1996; at the time, residentswere using the trail even though it was

nothing more than a dirt path. Thepaved trail opened in 2000, stretching

1.2 miles from Locust Street to MartinLuther King Jr. Drive at the ArtMuseum. The city government usedan edict written by William Penn inthe 17th century to secure pedestrianaccess across rail tracks to the trail atLocust and Race Streets.

Today the SRDC is focusing onthe trails extension further south.Construction is almost complete on theGrays Ferry Crescent, a one-mile trail

extension and generous riverfront parkalong the former Marshall Labs site.DuPont agreed to donate this land tothe City for trail construction beforePenn purchased the site. Also underconstruction is the Schuylkill River ParkConnector Bridge, which will create apedestrian bridge over the CSX tracksat Locust Street and install crossinggates at Locust and Race Streets thatwill close when there is train trafc.

Upcoming projects include streetscaimprovements along the Walnut Str

Bridge and the construction of a 200foot long concrete boardwalk in triver to extend the trail from LocStreet to South Street (with a nentrance at the South Street Bridge).

Counts from earlier this year show ththe stretch of the Schuylkill River Trbetween Manayunk and Locust Strget an average of 2800 uses daily, whadds up for over one million uses pyear. This trafc comes primarily fro

bikers, joggers and commuters, but afrom the event and promotional effoof SRDC, which holds movie nighkayaking rentals, boat tours and othactivities along the Banks.

Sources: Schuylkill River Developm

Corporation; Bicycle Coalition of Grea

Philadelphia


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Spotlight: Green City, Clean Waters

Philadelphia uses a traditionalcombined sewer and stormwatersystem for about 60% of Philadelphiastotal area, meaning that water fromrain and snow runoff combines withwastewater in underground pipes

before being treated. During heavystorm events, the combined sewersystem is overwhelmed by all thedemand, which often leads to sewersoverowing and untreated waterheading into our rivers and streams.

While the traditional solution hasbeen to build larger underground

pipes to hold the extra capacity, thePhiladelphia Water DepartmentOfce of Watersheds has spent thelast 12 years working on developingalternative solutions to better handle

wastewater and protect watersheds.The result of these efforts is Green City,Clean Waters, a plan submitted to the USEPA in September 2009 that answeredthe federal departments call for citieswith outdated sewer solutions to deviseways to handle the new burden.

The focus of Green City, Clean Waters ison investing in green infrastructure,which uses vegetation to collect and

treat stormwater as opposed to man-made components such as drains, pipesand treatment plants. This new plantlife brings natural functionality back tothe citys public spaces, many of whichhave a layer of asphalt and concrete and

therefore have limited permeability.This also means that the water willactually be used naturally on these newGreened Acres before it ever hits thecombined sewer system. The WaterDepartment also stipulates that this planwont just save the City money, but thatgreen infrastructure will also increaseproperty values, reduce greenhouse gas

emissions, improve air quality, reducethe urban heat island effect, and createa new industry and jobs constructing,maintaining and developing greeninfrastructure technologies.

The plan was approved by EPA andthe Pennsylvania Department ofEnvironmental Protection in June2011, which allows PWD to ofciallyembark on implementation. PWDplans to spend about $2 billion overthe next 25 years on green stormwaterinfrastructure such as stormwater treetrenches, porous paving, rain gardens,green roofs, and sidewalk planters to

capture and manage runoff. The gis to convert 30% of the citys toimpervious surface to pervious surfaand PWD expects to see $2 in benefor every $1 it spends.

PWD has softly launched the plan aconducted extensive civic engagemto educate citizens and business ownabout this change in focus, as wellways to actively reduce their burdon the sewer system. Now that PWhas federal approval, they will beneighborhood-wide implementatof interventions such as green stre(pictured in the study area, at 47Street and Grays Ferry Avenue), greschools, green homes, and green pubfacilities.

Any future public or privdevelopment project will need consider the mandate of Green CClean Waters. In a study area of this sand with so much impervious industrand formerly industrial land, there opportunities for creating the typesgreen infrastructure noted above well as restoring riparian edges alo

the river itself. As development occalong the Lower Schuylkill, landownand planners will have the opportunto coordinate with PWD to take wGreen City, Clean Waters outliand devise ways to share stormwamanagement facilities across large sithat likely have no such technoloalready on site.

Source: Green City Clean Waters; T

Schuylkill PIF; PlanPhilly; Philadelp

Office of Watersheds.


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Photos

Bartrams Garden, Bartram Drive toward

56th Street, facing northwest

Bartrams Garden, Bartram Drive toward

53rd Street, facing northeast

Penrose Plaza Shopping Center, Island

Avenue, looking northwest

appendix_schuylkill river district rfp.pdf

Documents