Contact:
JoAnn Loviglio
T 215.440.5546
jloviglio@centercityphila.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Funding will enable completion of construction bid documents for project transforming abandoned viaduct into a green walkway, bikeway and park

PHILADELPHIA (January 9, 2025) — Center City District (CCD) is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $2 million capital redevelopment grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the second phase of the Rail Park, extending from Vine Street to Fairmount Avenue.

Secured thanks to strong support from Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) and the adjacent community organizations, the grant builds upon generous contributions from the William Penn Foundation, Poor Richards Charitable Trust, the Wyncote Foundation, Connelly Foundation, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and PECO, and will enable CCD to complete construction bid documents by April of this year. This will lead to the creation of a much-needed public green space that will link multiple neighborhoods together and connect to the first phase of the Rail Park that CCD completed in 2018.

"This $2 million grant represents a crucial step forward in converting a deteriorating industrial infrastructure into a vibrant public space, providing an expanded amenity for four adjacent Philadelphia neighborhoods," Center City District Board Chair Paul R. Levy said. "We're deeply grateful for the steadfast support from Congressman Boyle, the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, Callowhill Neighbors Association, Friends of the Rail Park, West Poplar Neighbors, the 14th Ward RCO and City Councilmember Mark Squilla.”

Boyle stated that the project will improve access to schools, health care, and local businesses, promote walking and biking, and “connect neighborhoods, improve access to key destinations, and give residents more green spaces to enjoy.”

“All across America, old rail lines are being turned into vibrant public spaces that bring people together and breathe new life into neighborhoods,” Boyle said. “Thanks to this $2 million federal grant that I strongly supported, we’ll be continuing the transformation of the Reading Viaduct into a beautiful park and trail system.

The “Viaduct Greenway,” the second phase of the Rail Park, will convert an abandoned railroad viaduct — 6.8 acres of brownfields that run for 6/10th of a mile northeast from Vine Street to Fairmount Avenue — into an elevated park that links diverse neighborhoods, connecting them to Center City with an active transportation trail. Initial improvements will link to the first phase of the Rail Park at Callowhill Street and will include environmental remediation, structural repairs, a linear trail with basic lighting and safety elements and multiple points of access, with more amenities designed in partnership with adjacent community groups. Additionally, design is getting underway to connect this to the Vine Street “Stitch” that will cover a portion of Interstate 676.

The viaduct was built in the 1890s to carry passenger and freight trains into Center City and consists of steel structures, elevated filled areas and arched masonry bridges that provide spectacular views of the city. The last train traveled its rails in 1984, when all rail rights were terminated by Conrail and the viaduct was abandoned to weeds and disrepair.  

The CCD completed the transformation of the first phase of the Rail Park in 2018. Building on that success, CCD entered into a development agreement with the City of Philadelphia and engaged Urban Engineers and Studio Bryan Hanes to lead engineering and landscape design for the project’s second phase. CCD also retained Connect the Dots Insights to lead a community engagement process and received valuable suggestions from neighbors at public meetings as well as through online and intercept surveys.

With much of the land around the Viaduct Greenway remaining vacant and undeveloped, the opportunity exists to add residential and light commercial development and to create a unique, mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhood that supports the aspirations of the city’s Chinatown, Callowhill, West Poplar and East Poplar communities. 

The $2 million grant was awarded through the Reconnecting Communities Program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program funds planning and capital construction for infrastructure projects by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating barriers to connectivity, mobility, access, or economic development.

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Center City District, a private-sector organization dedicated to making Center City Philadelphia clean, safe and attractive, is committed to maintaining Center City’s competitive edge as a regional employment center, a quality place to live, and a premier regional destination for dining, shopping and cultural attractions.