Philadelphia Eyesore to Be Developed

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has entered into two agreements to ensure that developer Essington Avenue Partners LP will transform a 50-acre eyesore in southwest Philadelphia into a community asset.

“These agreements include plans for a thorough cleanup of the waste that has accumulated for years on the surface of this property, as well as the remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater under the surface,” Pennsylvania DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty said. “Where there were once junk cars and tire piles, soon there will be stores and restaurants that will serve this community.”

The cleanup agreements will make it possible for Essington Avenue Partners LP —- a joint venture between O’Neill Properties Group LP and Corvest Realty Group Inc. —- to develop the property through Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program and satisfy the many outstanding violations attributed to former owners and operators of auto salvage yards on the southern half of the property.

The 6700-6750 Essington Avenue parcel, which includes a former golf driving range and a multi-tenant auto parts mall, will be developed as The Shoppes at Essington, a 500,000-square-foot retail center.

Essington Avenue Partners agreed to meet a cleanup standard for soil and groundwater. The three-party agreement that includes DEP, Essington Avenue Partners and Philadelphia requires the developer to remove and properly dispose of all tires and waste on the surface of the property by June 1, 2006. This three-party agreement, which is the first of its kind in the state, makes it possible for a property owner to resolve enforcement issues with the state and city simultaneously.

“The transformation of this brownfield is being made possible through the vision of Essington Avenue Partners and with the assistance of Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program, the federal Renewal Community Initiative and the city’s Commerce Department,” Secretary McGinty said.

“But before there was a two-party, buyer-seller agreement or a three-party clean-up agreement, there was another initiative under way to reverse decades of environmentally irresponsible practices,” she continued. “The Philadelphia Multi-Governmental Automotive Salvage Task Force —- in which DEP has participated since its inception —- targeted the auto parts mall on this site for both education and enforcement.”

Along with various Philadelphia city departments, the U.S. EPA and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commiss-ion, DEP has been a member of the task force since it began in 2003.

“Education and enforcement were effective in addressing the more than 200 pages of regulatory and code violations documented at this site by the task force,” McGinty noted. “This undoubtedly helped the business community to imagine the possibilities that this property could offer if it were truly cleaned up.”

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