The
Lower Northeast District Plan was officially adopted by the Planning Commission last fall, and its designers are now turning their attention towards implementing its ideas. Working with the
Mayor's Office of Grants, the Commission has developed a series of partnerships to secure funding -- they recently earned over $600,000 from federal agencies and private foundations.
"The Plan has been a guide for everything we do," explains Ian Litwin with the Planning Commission. "We are building on the strengths that Frankford already has which can catalyze future development."
The grants were awarded for three key initiatives:
- A $75,000 grant from the William Penn Foundation and the Parks and Recreation Department will fund study of the options to return Frankford Creek to its natural state, connecting Frankford to the Delaware River and East Coast Greenway. A recommended trail alignment and suggested next steps will come from the study, which is already underway.
- A $200,000 EPA Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant will fund a planning study and develop reuse alternatives for three catalyst industrial sites in Frankford and Bridesburg along the Frankford Creek. The plan will lead to recommended site designs and create the possibilities for myriad implementation grants.
- A $335,150 grant from
ArtPlace America will support
Destination Frankford, an initiative to improve Frankford's commercial corridor through artfully designed signage and street furniture; a Globe DyeWorks storefront for local artists; and an arts-focused marketing campaign and website. The initiative will also create art installations in Womrath Park. Of 1,200 submissions across the country, Destination Frankford was one of 40 to receive grants. The initiative will kick-off on June 1.
"It’s an exciting time in Frankford," says Litwin, an urban planner by trade. "With so much implementation happening, I feel like my new title should be 'doer.'"
Source: Ian Litwin, City Planning Commission
Writer:
Greg Meckstroth