Considering Climate Change for Riverfront Redevelopment
Understanding flood risks for the Delaware Avenue Extension in Philadelphia
Project Summary
Community: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Technical Assistance: Reuse Assessment
Former Use: Industrial Manufacturing
Future Use: Highway Extension and Riverfront Park
Historic industrial activity had negative impacts on the
Frankford Creek and the surrounding area near the
Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Two
waterfront catalyst brownfield sites near the creek are the
former Rohm and Haas chemical production site and the
Philadelphia Coke Co. site, a former gas and coke
production facility. The community would like to see these
two sites restored to reconnect the community with nearby
Frankford Creek and the Delaware River.
In 2015, the City completed the Lower Frankford Creek
Watershed Brownfields Area-Wide Plan, which laid out a
vision to spur economically and environmentally beneficial
redevelopment of the catalyst sites. One priority of the
plan is an extension to Delaware Avenue—from Orthodox
to Tacony streets—to increase public access to the
waterfront, while reducing vehicular traffic in residential
neighborhoods.
The Community's Challenge
Implementation of key recommendations for the Rohm
and Haas and Philadelphia Coke sites has rested upon
the decision to proceed with the next phase of the
Delaware Avenue Extension. Before proceeding with the
project, the City and the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation (PennDOT) need to understand potential
sea level rise impacts and climate adaptation strategies for
the road extension because of the project's location
adjacent to the tidally influenced Delaware River. This sea
level and climate change information will help determine
the location and design of the roadway extension.
EPA's Land Revitalization Technical Assistance
In 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Land Revitalization Program provided contractor technical
assistance to prepare a report on sea level rise adaptation
recommendations. The report summarizes findings on
potential flooding scenarios and the associated
consequences for the catalyst sites. It then provides
recommendations for adaptation strategies to address
those impacts. The sea level rise scenarios and
adaptation strategies are supported by inundation maps
and profiles. By outlining the predictive analyses, the
adaptation report resolves the City's outstanding questions
about viable reuse options for both the Rohm and Haas
site and the Philadelphia Coke site, and for the road
networks that serve them.
Despite the blighted industrial land, the two sites offer
locational and historical resources for redevelopment that
can honor Philadelphia's past and enhance the
community's connection to Frankford Creek. With EPA's
technical assistance, the City can now ensure that
potential sea level rise is accounted for in the area's
redevelopment plan.
Old Frankford Creek elevation in a chronic flooding scenario
For more information, contact Patricia Corbett, EPA
Region 3 Brownfields Program, at
corbett.patricia@epa.gov.
A FiA United States
Environmental Protection
tl 4F * Agency
Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
EPA Pub # 560-F-20-008

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