What we know about the future of Philly's Chinatown Stitch project
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The Chinatown Friendship Gate in Philadelphia. Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images
Will the Chinatown Stitch project get its federal funding? No one can seem to piece it together.
Why it matters: A traffic jam of conflicting voices is creating confusion about whether Philly will ever see the nearly $159 million it was promised to cap the Vine Street Expressway.
Catch up quick: Congress recently passed President Trump's "big, beautiful bill," which, among other things, clawed back funding for projects through the federal government's Neighborhood Access and Equity Program.
- That's the program that awarded the Chinatown Stitch project a roughly $159 million grant last year to fund its final design and construction.
- Then, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) told the Inquirer last week the Trump administration would release more than $1 billion in federal grants for dozens of infrastructure projects across the Commonwealth approved under the Biden administration.
Yes, but: The Chinatown Stitch project isn't among the projects on the list of grants Fetterman's office provided to Axios.
- Fetterman's spokesperson didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for clarity on Chinatown Stitch's future.
What they're saying: "Everybody's confused," Philadelphia Councilmember Mark Squilla tells Axios.
- Some state officials expressed optimism that the funding is coming.
- PennDOT is awaiting "official word" from the Federal Highway Administration, spokesperson Krys Johnson tells Axios, though the agency is "encouraged" by signs that long-promised funding is finally moving.
Philly's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems, meanwhile, says it hasn't received any new guidance from the feds, spokesperson Matt Cassidy tells Axios.
The other side: Squilla doesn't believe the newly released funding applies to the project, and U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle is skeptical.
- "I will continue to demand answers from the Trump administration on the status of this grant," Boyle says.
What we're watching: Despite no assurances, the city and its project partners are moving forward with planning, Squilla says.
- PennDOT had previously told Axios it committed $10.2 million in initial federal funding to the project's initial study and preliminary design.
What's ahead: Over the coming months, the project team will refine designs for the highway park cap and Vine Street traffic lanes, Cassidy says. Plus: A business plan for the park.
- A final concept design will be revealed in the fall, and more rounds of community engagement are planned.
- Construction is planned to start in spring 2027.