Chinatown Stitch in Philly advances with $10 million regional grant

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission shifted $10 million from a reserve account to Philadelphia’s Chinatown Stitch project, and the city added $2.5 million to keep engineering design moving for the next two years.

Philadelphia’s plan to build a park over a portion of the Vine Street Expressway, known as the Chinatown Stitch, will continue after a regional planning body dedicated $10 million to the effort. The proposal aims to cap I-676 from 10th to 13th streets to reconnect a neighborhood split by highway construction decades ago. The project lost most of a previously awarded federal grant last year when a portion of a U.S. Department of Transportation award was rescinded under federal budget reconciliation actions. The new $10 million from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, together with $2.5 million from the city, will fund engineering and design work for roughly the next two years. Key details: - The DVRPC shifted $10 million from a reserve account for federal highway projects to the Chinatown Stitch; the city is contributing $2.5 million to support design work. - The full project is estimated at about $207 million and would cap two and a half blocks of I-676 between 10th and 13th streets. - The Biden administration had awarded two grants totaling about $162 million under Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhood Access and Equity programs; an uncommitted $159 million portion of the second grant was rescinded, leaving $8 million the city has used for initial work. - Planned park elements include gardens inspired by Chinese traditions, a plaza for events, a food kiosk, a water feature, and a playground; the western section (12th to 13th) is described as a second phase that has not yet been designed. - Officials had aimed to begin construction in 2027 with a two-year build; the funding cancellation pushed that timeline to at least 2029, though officials said the schedule could change if federal funds are restored. Planners will submit preliminary engineering documents to PennDOT and the city next week and are targeting a critical environmental approval this spring, followed by further public engagement in May or June. Summary: The $10 million regional grant keeps design work underway and allows engineers to develop the underlying structure needed for the capped park. Officials say they will pursue restoration of federal construction funds, with a possible opportunity when the current federal surface transportation bill is up for reauthorization in September; recent federal action restored $30 million of rescinded funds and a member of Congress has co-sponsored legislation seeking broader restoration.