February 2024
thebellwetherdistrict.com
The Bellwether District Dispatch We’re 6 weeks into 2024, and The Bellwether District team has hit the ground running. But before taking a look at the year ahead, allow us to reflect on how far we have come. In 2020, Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP) acquired the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) refinery and is currently remediating and redeveloping the 1,300-acre site into a premier logistics and innovation hub in South and Southwest Philadelphia. Work commenced at the site - subsequently re-named The Bellwether District - in June 2020 when HRP began safely abating and dismantling over 100 buildings, 300 tanks, and 950 miles of pipeline on the 1,300-acre site, as well as ongoing environmental remediation activities. Economic impact data prepared by Econsult Solutions for the City’s Refinery Advisory Group found that PES was responsible for an average of 1,950 direct jobs in a typical year. In 2018, the total employee count was just 1,100. The refinery had an estimated annual tax impact of $33.2 million to the City and $30 million to the Commonwealth. The Bellwether District will multiply this impact by orders of magnitude, while foregoing the harmful environmental impact of the refinery. Economic impact analysis data by Econsult Solutions, commissioned in a separate study, estimates that at full buildout, The Bellwether District will create approximately 19,000 direct, permanent jobs and have an estimated annual tax impact of $106 million to the City and $130 million to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. HRP has invested over $1 million, to date, in education and workforce development initiatives and over $350,000 in communitybased philanthropy, partnering with more than 30 Philadelphia-based civic and nonprofit organizations to build a more sustainable and equitable community. In October 2023, the HRP team celebrated the start of vertical construction at The Bellwether District. Significant infrastructure investment will reintegrate the site into the City via multi-modal transportation infrastructure and complete streets providing pedestrian and bike access. At full build, over 14.5 million SF of LEED-certifiable buildings providing over 6 million SF of rooftop solar capacity is planned and onsite infrastructure will accommodate electric vehicles and renewable fuel sources. And we welcomed Judith Rodin, former president of the University of Pennsylvania, as an advisor. There is a lot of work ahead, but we’re looking forward to continued partnership, consistent impact, and ongoing development.
For the second consecutive football season, The Bellwether District teamed up with the Philadelphia Eagles to promote sustainable transformations and environmental stewardship via our Touchdowns for Sustainability initiative. For every touchdown scored during the season, The Bellwether District is investing in sustainability programs for a cleaner, greener and healthier Philadelphia. Check out how many TDs our Eagles scored this season, and stay tuned for the announcement of our 2024 Touchdowns for Sustainability recipients on this year’s Earth Day, April 22.