Krajewski applauds $3 million in RACP funding for local projects

HARRISBURG, Nov. 8 – State Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., applauded the recent award of $3 million in state grant funding through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program for three community redevelopment projects in the district.

“I am thrilled with the news that three nonprofit organizations in our community will receive $3 million in state grant funding for their various redevelopment projects,” Krajewski said. “The renovations to Clark Park, the Monell Center and Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology will go toward giving our community more exciting places to grow, learn, innovate, work and build a brighter future.”

Projects receiving funding include:

  • $500,000 to the Friends of Clark Park for the Clark Park Vision and Design Framework project, which will go toward traffic calming measures, a new crosswalk, updates to highly used playgrounds and infrastructure upgrades.
  • $500,000 to Monell Chemical Senses Center for the Monell Center Taste and Smell Research II project, which will assist with renovation of the second floors of the Monell Center.
  • $2 million to the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology for the Wistar Institute Center for Advanced Therapeutics project, which will help the center to convert 12,000 square feet of vacant administrative space into wet labs for biological matter analysis.

“For more than a year, I have worked in close partnership with the Friends of Clark Park to secure dollars for the development and implementation of a masterplan, developed by and for our neighbors. This award is a serious step towards making that vision a reality,” Krajewski said. “Investing in public parks makes our city healthier, more beautiful and gives our young people the safe spaces they need to have fun and thrive. Clark Park is a gem of the 188th and I’m excited to see it grow.”

The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program is a Pennsylvania grant program for the design, acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects. RACP projects have a regional impact and generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues or other measures of economic activity. RACP projects are state-funded projects that cannot obtain primary funding under other state programs.