Funding shortfall pushes Chinatown Stitch start to at least 2029
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Construction of the Chinatown Stitch project is being pushed back until at least 2029 as city and state officials scramble to secure new funding to get the project across the finish line.
Why it matters: The delay became all but inevitable after the project lost federal funding last year under cuts included in President Trump's "big beautiful bill," leaving local leaders to fill a major budget gap.
The big picture: Philadelphia is reworking its timeline for the project, which was initially slated to begin in 2027, as it seeks to secure $12.5 million from a separate federal funding stream administered by PennDOT to advance the final design.
- The project, now tentatively scheduled to be completed in 2032, would cap the Vine Street Expressway that cuts through the neighborhood, plus add green space to the area between 10th and 12th streets.
Driving the news: The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission — which oversees transportation projects in the region — met Thursday to discuss the city's $12.5 million request.
- But some board members raised concerns about approving the funds before Philadelphia secures construction financing for the full $207 million project.
- The plan is for Philly officials to pore over the city's contingency plan at a separate subcommittee meeting before the DVRPC reconvenes to vote on the funding proposal, possibly at the agency's meeting in March or April.
Zoom in: Philly is up against an August deadline to secure the funding — $10 million would come from another federal program intended for improvements on the national highway network.
- The city would kick in the remaining $2.5 million, officials said at the meeting.
Catch up quick: The preliminary phase of the project went forward while state and local officials continued seeking grants after learning last spring the project had lost $150.5 million in federal funding.
- The city's latest request had been up for a vote at an earlier DVRPC meeting this month, but it was tabled to allow for further discussion.
Between the lines: John Chin, a Chinatown native and executive director of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, told Axios the funding loss left some residents in "despair."
- His organization has been focused on easing tensions in Chinatown, convinced that the project will eventually come together.
- "These things take a long time, and you often don't get a pot of money at one time," he says.
What they're saying: The Chinatown Stitch project is an "American story" about the neighborhood's fight against redevelopment intruding on its community, Christopher Puchalsky, of the city's Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability, told board members during the meeting.
- Board member Neil Makhija, who also serves as a Montgomery County commissioner, said he believes the federal government could reverse course and restore funding, down the road or once President Trump leaves office.
Case in point: Puchalsky pointed to a legislative push from U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle to restore $3 billion in federal funding to those transportation projects.
Yes, but: Board member Matthew Edmond, executive director of the Chester County Planning Commission, said it would be unwise for the city not to have a backup plan.
The bottom line: "Everyone wants this to happen," he said.
- But there needs to be a "game plan" if federal construction funding never comes through, so the city can avoid a "fire drill."