Federal funding in jeopardy for Philly's Chinatown Stitch project
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The Chinatown Friendship Gate in Philadelphia. Photo: Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The massive infrastructure project reconnecting Philadelphia's Chinatown is at risk of losing federal funding, which community leaders say could derail the yearslong effort.
Why it matters: Chinatown has fought for decades to stitch its neighborhood back together after it was divided by the construction of the Vine Street Expressway.
Driving the news: The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this week proposed cutting "unobligated" funding from dozens of infrastructure projects nationwide, including the Chinatown Stitch.
- The proposal would slash about $3.1 billion from the projects to reconnect communities divided by transportation infrastructure, per an analysis from nonpartisan advocacy group Transportation for America.
What they're saying: Councilmember Mark Squilla tells Axios there's no contingency plan right now if the federal government strips the funding, but city officials will be "putting our heads together" in the coming weeks.
- "We are at the mercy of the federal government at this point," he says. "We have to go to the drawing board to see what other possibilities there are."
Catch up quick: Philadelphia announced last year that it had received a $159 million federal grant to cap I-676, replacing unsightly overpasses with new green space and improving safety for residents crossing the highway.
- The project is in the public involvement phase, and the city is holding pop-up meetings to get community input before releasing its final design proposal.
By the numbers: It's unclear how much Philadelphia has spent on the project so far. A spokesperson for the city's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems didn't respond to Axios' requests for comment.
- PennDOT, a principal partner on the project, is shouldering most of the costs for the Chinatown Stitch, with the city expected to receive about $6.3 million in federal reimbursements, agency spokesperson Brad Rudolph tells Axios.
- PennDOT had already committed $10.2 million to the project's initial study and preliminary design, Rudolph says.
How it works: The city and state spend money upfront on the project and then submit invoices for reimbursement to the federal agency overseeing the grant.
John Chin of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp., a partner on the project, tells Axios the possibility of losing federal funding is unsettling for a community trying to heal and spur economic regrowth.
- "All of this is very alarming," he says. "There's these events that are outside our control that have been thrust upon Chinatown. It reduces our ability to be successful."
U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle tells Axios he "fought like hell" to help secure the federal funding for the city.
- "It is shameful the Trump administration is threatening to rip this historic opportunity away from our city," the Democrat says.
What's ahead: The next pop-ups are Saturday from 2-4:30pm at the Crane Community Center, and Wednesday from 5:30-8:30pm at Holy Redeemer Chinese Catholic Church and School.