The Bellwether District Dispatch Q2 2024

The Bellwether District Dispatch

Progress Continues at The Bellwether District

A lot is happening at The Bellwether District! We are checking in to ensure you don’t miss any activity along the way! Let’s bring you up to speed.

Let the Building Begin

We recently celebrated the installation of our first concrete panels, marking the official start of vertical construction at The Bellwether District’s Logistics Campus. This development marks a key milestone and the first phase of our $4 billion investment in redeveloping the 1300-acre site. Learn more about this exciting news courtesy the Philadelphia Business Journal and WHYY

Celebrating Earth Day 2024

In April, The Bellwether District served as the backdrop for 6ABC’s April 13th Earth Day episode of FYI Philly. HRP Group CEO Roberto Perez also gave viewers a behind-the-scenes tour, sharing how the 150-year-old refinery will be transformed into “a global model for sustainable development.” Take a look at the episode.

Reinforcing our Commitment to Sustainability

We continue to deepen our commitment to building sustainable communities – this time with a $100,000 grant to Bartram’s Garden. This grant marks the beginning of a two-year partnership to plant up to 200 trees throughout Southwest Philadelphia to expand the urban tree canopy. It also gives local students paid opportunities to acquire tree care and landscaping skills and to perform local community outreach.

“This investment will deepen and expand existing programming and local partnerships to increase Southwest Philadelphia community greening with a focus on tree planting, youth workforce development, and neighborhood engagement,” said Tiphanie White, chief of staff to Council President Kenyatta Johnson. “This partnership also directly supports the Philly Tree Plan goal of establishing a strategy for the planting and care of the urban forest, guided by values of environmental justice, community engagement, and sustainability. The Bellwether District and Bartram’s Garden are allies in our shared work to build a cleaner, greener city with opportunity for all Philadelphians.”

The partnership with Bartram’s Garden is the latest in a nearly $2 million investment in education, workforce development, and community support throughout Philadelphia.

Read more about our support of Bartram’s Garden and its Southwest Philadelphia Tree Program and check out coverage from 6abc, NBC 10, and WSSI Telemundo

Point Breeze Night Market

• June 7 | 4pm - 10pm

Family-friendly outdoor food experience stretching from the 1200 to 1400 blocks of Point Breeze Avenue. Live entertainment, food vendors and a fun festival atmosphere.

Juneteenth Jubilee

• June 16 11am - 4pm

Come on out to the Bartram’s Garden on Sunday, June 16, 11am-4pm, for a full day of free festivities, co-hosted and emcee’d by our friends at VinylTap 215. There’ll be live performances by Jacqueline Constance, youth storytelling with Paul Best, free fruit, fitness classes, lawn games, vendors and more! More information can be found here:

People

Recent Events

Juneteenth at the African American Museum

• June 19 | 11am - 4pm

The Bellwether District will once again sponsor the African American Museum of Philadelphia’s Juneteenth Block Party. We encourage you and your friends/family to check out this free event on Wednesday, June 19th between 10 AM and 4 PM. More info here – https://www.aampmuseum.org/ https://www.bartramsgarden.org/event/juneteenth24/

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Talking - Here’s What Others Have to Say

A Project to Watch! The Bellwether District was named one of “12 New Philly Real Estate Projects to Dream On” by Philadelphia Magazine

NBC10 highlighted the development as part of its “Building Philadelphia” series.

“I am super excited by the size and scale of the Hilco project. I’ve toured it and seen it firsthand. Not only are they transforming a huge piece of the city with an unmatched vision, but their success will mean that Philadelphia is a whole lot closer to being the number-one city in the country for biotech and life sciences.” - Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker

How to Do Business At The Bellwether

District

At the end of February, HRP Group teamed up with City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, TalsonSolutions,andMaven,Inc.foranin-personeventdesignedforminority-ownedbusinesses interested in working with The Bellwether District. The event included presentations from The Bellwether District project team and our general contracting partners to bring attendees up to date on the project, as well as networking opportunities to spark new relationships and deepen existing connections.

Spring Break Middle School Internship Program

This spring, The Bellwether District team hosted its first middle school nternship program with students from South Philadelphia’s Delaplaine McDaniel School. Six students joined us for the week to learn all about the project and careers in real estate and construction. This is in addition to a summer internship program for high school students that has employed more than 80 young people to date.

CCP Scholarship Luncheon

In April, HRP Group CEO Roberto Perez spent time with past and current recipients of the #HilcoHelps Community College of Philadelphia Scholarship Program which benefits South and Southwest Philly residents attending Community College of Philadelphia. Interested in applying? Look out for this summer’s application announcement by following us here or getting in touch via thebellwetherdistrict.com/contact

Career Awareness Week

Last month, HRP, Clayco, and Perryman Construction hosted SLA Beeber students at The Bellwether District for the 2024 Dare to Dream Career Week. This program created by the Pennsylvania Attorney General and the School District of Philadelphia exposes local students to career opportunities through job shadowing, interactive activities and engaging discussions with professionals across multiple industries. At The Bellwether District, students learned about HRP’s work redeveloping the site and the role each contractor plays.

Upcoming Meetings

June 18: On Tuesday, June 18th at 6:00 p.m., The Bellwether District team will host its second quarterly community meeting of 2024. This virtual meeting will review site progress and upcoming plans for The Bellwether District. Topics will include Development, Environmental Remediation, Community & Workforce.

Participants will have an opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions during the meeting as part of live Q&A. Questions and comments may be sent in advance to: https://www.thebellwetherdistrict.com/contact/

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