Designs for the Chinatown Stitch highway cap project are moving forward, even as the federal government recently canceled a significant portion of its funding.
The project aims to create a vibrant park over the Vine Street Expressway between 10th and 12th streets, featuring expansive landscaping, trees, a lawn with a covered plaza, a playground, a small stream, and a garden inspired by Chinese traditions, among other amenities.
John Chin, executive director of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, emphasizes the importance of the project, stating, “The park will add a tremendous amount of green space that Chinatown never imagined that it could have,” further asserting that it plays a crucial role in securing the neighborhood’s future.
Chin remarks, “There’s an opportunity for Vine Street to become the main street of Philadelphia’s Chinatown, and it could really spur private business development in Chinatown North,” highlighting the potential for growth in the underdeveloped area north of Vine.
The estimated cost of the project stands at $207 million, as reported by the city’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS). The design was recently presented at an Art Commission meeting, which granted preliminary approval.
A round of community engagement is planned for this fall, during which revisions to the design will be made based on public input.
The Stitch project is meant to help “stitch” Chinatown back together, partially addressing the significant impact that the widening of Vine Street in the 1950s and the construction of the expressway in the 1980s and ‘90s had on the neighborhood.
Community leaders have long sought to cap the highway, and recent federal grants totaling $162 million had provided much hope for the initiative. This included a substantial $159 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Neighborhoods and Communities Grant program.
However, the recent One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Donald Trump, has effectively shut down the Reconnecting Neighborhoods program and rescinded $2.4 billion in grants across the nation. Currently, OTIS has access to about $8 million that was previously obligated for the Stitch project, yet the remaining $151 million in funding has been canceled.
Chris Puchalsky, OTIS’s director of policy and strategic initiatives, reassures that the city can continue with planning thanks to the remaining funds. “We have enough of a runway to keep this project moving. We do not have construction funding, and we don’t have final design funding at this point. We’re looking for it,” he noted.
He added, “It’s not unusual for a project to be at this phase and not have construction funding. It was actually kind of remarkable that we had put all the funding together.”
Puchalsky also mentioned, “What we do know is that there’s a lot of political support for this project. We’ve spoken to all of our federal elected officials. They’re all very supportive.”
The proposed park will stretch over sections of the Vine Street Expressway, specifically between 10th and 11th streets and part of the area between 11th and 12th, while leaving a section of the road open next to 12th.
OTIS also plans to cap the expressway further between 12th and 13th, although no detailed designs for that portion have been published yet.
On the eastern side of 10th Street, a landscaped highway cap will help mitigate noise and odors from the expressway, while on the opposing side, a stage or plaza with a shade structure will replace an existing plaza, facing a lawn area designed for seating.
The north side of the lawn is intended for local vendors, and statues from the site will be relocated within the park to enhance its cultural significance.
Paths will lead to essential facilities such as a food kiosk, restrooms, and a fenced playground located in the middle of the block. Closer to 11th, a ginkgo grove and flexible terraces will allow for table games and small sports activities.
Moving across 11th, the western section of the park will feature a serene garden area accentuated by a rounded moon gate entryway. This space is set to include garden terraces, a lawn, a gentle winding stream, and a park office building. Future plans may connect this area to an expanded Rail Park, which the Center City District aims to extend over abandoned elevated tracks.
Allison Harvey, an architect with OJB designing for OTIS, noted the significance of green space, stating, “There’s only about 2% of land cover in Chinatown that’s actual green space, so the park serves as an amazing counter-note to the very dense urban environment.”
Harvey also described the park as a celebration of Chinese garden traditions, reinforcing Philadelphia’s identity as the city of gardens.
Next week, construction is set to begin on the Vine Street area as OTIS prepares for further developments. The park segments will be divided by short stretches of 10th and 11th streets intersecting the Vine.
OTIS is contemplating raising the road in these zones and adding textured pavement to enhance pedestrian safety and traffic calming.
Puchalsky has indicated that the retaining walls of the Vine Street Expressway will need significant reconstruction to support the new park structure. Separate from the Stitch project, PennDOT will also initiate a “road diet” on Vine Street from 8th to Broad streets, reducing auto lanes and introducing a new separated bike lane.
This $8.5 million project is slated to commence next week, potentially improving the overall functionality and accessibility of the area.
OTIS has conducted prior public engagement on the Stitch design earlier this year, with another round planned for this fall to gather community insights for potential adjustments.
Expectations are that OTIS will finalize the preliminary engineering design, setting the scope and schedule for the project, by early next year, before transitioning into the final design phase.
image source from：billypenn
