Clean Air Council Launches Process for Long-Term Vision for the Lower Schuylkill’s Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ Site
Lindy Institute to facilitate a collaborative design process with the community, institutional and governmental stakeholders
PHILADELPHIA (November 21, 2019) – Clean Air Council and The Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation of Drexel University today announced a community-driven visioning process for developing long-term alternative land use options for the Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ (PES) site. The process will consider possible futures for the site informed by input from residents and key stakeholders and promising local, national and global practices. The vision will articulate long-term, high-level design alternatives for potential future uses which align with the values of the diverse stakeholder group, emphasizing community health, sustainable development and family-sustaining jobs.
The visioning process follows the closure of the refinery in Summer 2019 and the uncertainty around the future use of the roughly 1,300 acres of refinery land. The vision will benefit from the work of the Refinery Advisory Group appointed by Mayor Kenney, which provided a public platform for a variety of perspectives about the future of the site. The Managing Director’s forthcoming report will provide a useful snapshot of current development options and stakeholder interests, which stakeholders can build upon to create a long-term vision. This process is funded through a grant from The William Penn Foundation.
“We have an enormous opportunity to develop a long-term vision that could influence the future use of 1,300 contaminated acres with land along two rivers,” said Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council. “We must explore and elevate the many alternative options for future uses of the refinery site that could drive economic development, increase recreation by the rivers, and improve the environmental health of the city.”
“The long-term visioning process for this part of the Lower Schuylkill gives us a chance to step back and surface possibilities for how a key site can adapt over the next 25, 50 or 100 years,” said Harris Steinberg, Executive Director of the Lindy Institute. “Nested between Center City, University City, the Navy Yard and Airport, it has tremendous potential to contribute positively to both Philadelphia’s economy and job market and our environmental and public health.”
Clean Air Council and The Lindy Institute are forming an advisory group for the process comprised of key stakeholders, including community groups, labor organizations, government, academics, environmental groups, and elected officials. The Lindy Institute is currently gathering community feedback through a survey and will announce community meetings in January 2020. Follow the process on the Lindy Institute’s website: https://drexel.edu/lindyinstitute/initiatives/a-vision-for-the-lower-schuylkill/.
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