Grant to connect Westpark Redevelopment to park, SEPTA station
Funding comes from RAISE grants, thanks to the infrastructure law
Members have secured highly competitive RAISE grants for Philadelphia for four consecutive years—each year since infrastructure law passed
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and U.S. Representative Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) announced $21,395,555 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). The grant will support the creation of a new of street grid and pedestrian infrastructure to facilitate the redevelopment of the Westpark Apartments in West Philly. The funding comes from a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) Grant, funded by the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act (IIJA).
“From visiting housing developments across Philadelphia, I’ve seen firsthand the transformational work PHA does to not only provide safe, affordable housing, but build vibrant communities,” said Senator Casey. “I fought for this funding to better connect Westpark residents with resources and opportunities in their community and beyond. I’ll keep working to deliver funding to make Philadelphia more livable for all who call the city home.”
“Any day that we can announce more federal dollars heading to Pennsylvania is a good day,” said Senator Fetterman. “This RAISE grant will support the infrastructure needed to create the new Westpark housing development and connect the campus to transit and green space. This is a smart, thoughtful project that will greatly improve the lives of the people who will live at the redeveloped Westpark Apartments. It exemplifies that values of PHA and is a stellar example of the critical work they do. I’m proud to have fought alongside Senator Casey and Congressman Evans for this funding.”
“This is great news for West Philadelphia and another way that the Biden Infrastructure and Jobs Act I voted for continues to deliver for Philadelphia and the region. I thank Senators Casey and Fetterman for their continued partnership as we work together to deliver for our shared constituents,” said Congressman Evans.
“We at PHA are extremely grateful to Senator Casey, Senator Fetterman, Congressman Evans, and all our federal partners for this exciting news,” said PHA President and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “The grant marks a tremendous milestone in the redevelopment of Westpark. It will ensure that once the project is complete, residents will have ready access to SEPTA and to public parkland. Senator Casey, who advocated for this grant, proves once again that he is a true champion for expanding housing opportunities in Philadelphia and across the state. And I’m confident that Westpark will serve as a national model for a 21st century public housing and affordable housing development.”
This project will construct an extension of the existing street grid in West Philadelphia in order to create new space for housing and connect the Westpark Apartments campus to SEPTA’s 46th Street station. It will support a new network of shared streets, sidewalks, and bike infrastructure that will create the roads necessary to integrate new, forthcoming housing more seamlessly into the neighborhood.
2024 marks the fourth consecutive year the Members of Congress have secured highly competitive RAISE grants for infrastructure projects in Philadelphia. Last year, SEPTA received $25 million to modernize trolleys and the City received the same amount for the North Philadelphia School Zone Traffic Safety Project. In 2022, the “Great Streets PHL” project was awarded $25 million to make safety improvements to high-crash corridors in historically disadvantaged communities and areas of persistent poverty. In 2021, shortly following passage of IIJA, SEPTA won $15 million to renovate the 19th and 37th Street Trolley Subway Stations and make them accessible for people with disabilities. To see more federal investments Senator Casey has delivered to Philadelphia and the Commonwealth, click here.
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