Gov. Wolf: $3M state grant will extend Schuylkill River Trail farther into Southwest Phila.
Gov. Wolf on Monday announced a $3 million state grant to aid in the redevelopment of a 2.25-mile section of the Schuylkill River Trail that will eventually expand its reach to the Passyunk Avenue Bridge in Southwest Philadelphia.
"With the help of our investment, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC) will be able to reclaim and redevelop brownfield sites along the river," Wolf said at a news conference on the windy banks of the river.
"Turning a former eyesore and blighted area into a new and accessible space for city residents, we will create a valuable resource in a currently underserved neighborhood in Southwest Philadelphia."
Wolf was joined on the banks of the river at 25th and Locust Streets by State Sen. Anthony Williams (D., Phila.), State Rep. Jordan Harris (D., Phila.), Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources Cindy Dunn, and others.
"The Schuylkill River Trail is one of many solid examples of a city's vibrancy and a river's rebirth," said Dunn, who added that the trail may ultimately connect Philadelphia all the way to Reading.
The $3 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant will allow the SRDC to complete a $13 million greenway trail project from Bartram's Mile (between Grays Ferry Avenue and 58th Street) to Passyunk Point, where Passyunk Avenue crosses the river.
The grant will pay for land acquisition, remediation, site work, and construction for the two-phase project.
"It allows us to extend the trail into the Elmwood neighborhood, which is currently underserved in regards to open space," said Joseph Syrnick, president and CEO of SRDC. "It will be another three to four thousand feet extending Bartram's Mile to Passyunk Bridge. We'll likely break ground in 2017."
Officials did not say when they expect the project to be completed.
The Schuylkill River Trail project "is a great opportunity for Philadelphia to create a one-of-a-kind experience that will encourage thousands of community members to get outside and enjoy some of the beauty our city has to offer," Harris said.
The riverside trail hosts 29,000 visitors a week, or about 1.5 million people a year, and was voted best trail by USA Today in 2015.
"Connecting more neighborhoods to each other via the trail will only increase the neighborly bond Philadelphians share and open them up to new experiences they otherwise may not have had."
The Schuylkill River Trail is a multi-use trail in Southeastern Pennsylvania with a projected length of almost 130 miles when it is finally complete. There are more than 60 miles of completed trail, including a 30-mile stretch from Philadelphia to Parker Ford, south of Limerick. The trail accommodates more than two million users each year.
After Wolf finished the news conference, he and his fellow politicians got onto WheelFun surrey rentals for a ride down the boardwalk.
