Funding Project Infrastructure
Application Period Open for Commonwealth Financing Authority Multimodal Grants.
In 2013, Pennsylvania passed Act 89, legislation that created new funding for investment in transportation projects statewide. One notable element of the bill was the creation of a Multimodal Fund for non-highway capital needs. By the fifth year of the fund, nearly $144 million in will be awarded annually to public and private entities for transportation-related projects statewide. Beginning on March 1st, applications are being accepted for the latest round of funding.
Broadly defined, the multimodal grants are available for planning and capital projects related to ports and waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, transit, and bicycle and pedestrian use. Eligible applicants are municipalities, councils of government, private businesses and nonprofits, economic development organizations, public transportation agencies, or railroad and port operators.
Many multimodal grants are used for capital improvements that are purely public in nature, such as the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation’s project to improve Spring Garden Street in the area of I-95. However, multimodal funding can be used to supplement construction of private developments under the banner of streetscape and pedestrian improvements. Examples of recent projects in Philadelphia include:
- AIMCO and the City of Philadelphia are collaborating on the redevelopment of Park Towne Place, an 18-story residential and retail complex. A multimodal grant will fund street and sidewalk repairs, the installation of ADA sidewalks and drive entries, lighting and signage, and the upgrading of shuttle stops along the adjacent Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
- Children’s’ Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) will use a grant to help fund the construction of a pedestrian bridge and stairway to link its main campus to the Schuylkill Banks/River Trail. The project will provide a safer crossing over an active rail line.
- The Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) received a grant to renovate the entrances and exits along 9th and 10th streets at the Gallery Mall. The funds will make the area safer and more accessible with improved lighting, streetscapes and signage.
Grants can range anywhere from $500,000 to $3 million. Matching funds are required and project expenditures must take place within certain timeframe to qualify for reimbursement.
There are actually two separately-administered multimodal programs, each with its own set of deadlines. One is jointly administered by the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) and Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). The application period for CFA/DCED multimodal grants runs from March 1, 2016 to July 3, 2016. Projects will be awarded at the November 2016 CFA board meeting.
The other multimodal fund is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT); the next application period is expected to open later in 2016. Qualifying applicants may apply to both the CFA/DCED and PennDOT programs for the same project.
Public incentives can be a useful tool for making a project economically viable, but should not be viewed as a primary source of funding. Applicants should also be aware that additional advocacy may be needed as part of a successful application.
If you are developing a project which may qualify for funding, the professionals at Wolf Commercial Real Estate can provide advice on a variety of successful strategies for pursing public and private sources of funding.
For more information:
http://www.newpa.com/programs/multimodal-transportation-fund/
http://www.penndot.gov/ProjectAndPrograms/MultimodalProgram/Pages/default.aspx#.VtSnm_krLIV
For more information about Philly or New Jersey office space, Philly or South Jersey retail space or other Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey commercial properties, please call 215-799-6900 or 856-857-6300 to speak with Jason Wolf (jason.wolf@wolfcre.com) Leor Hemo (leor.hemo@wolfcre.com) or Lee Fein (lee.fein@wolfcre.com) at Wolf Commercial Real Estate, a leading Philadelphia commercial real estate brokerage firm with expertise in Philly office space and Philly retail space.
Wolf Commercial Real Estate is a Philadelphia commercial real estate broker that provides a full range of Philadelphia commercial real estate listings and services, marketing commercial offices, medical properties, industrial properties, land properties, retail buildings and other Philadelphia commercial properties for buyers, tenants, investors and sellers.
Wolf Commercial Real Estate, a Philadelphia and South Jersey commercial real estate broker that specializes in Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey commercial real estate listings, provides unparalleled expertise in matching companies and individuals seeking new Philly and New Jersey office space or Philly and South Jersey retail space with the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey commercial properties that best meets their needs. As experts in Philadelphia and New Jersey commercial real estate listings and services, the team at our Philadelphia and South Jersey commercial real estate brokerage firm provides ongoing detailed information about Philadelphia and New Jersey commercial properties to our clients and prospects to help them achieve their real estate goals. If you are looking for Philly or New Jersey office space or Philly or South Jersey retail space for sale or lease, Wolf Commercial Real Estate is the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey commercial real estate broker you need — a strategic partner who is fully invested in your long-term growth and success.
Please visit our websites for a full listing of South Jersey and Philadelphia commercial properties for lease or sale through our Philadelphia commercial real estate brokerage firm.
For More Information Contact:
Anthony V. Mannino, Esq.
P: 215 799 6900
D: 215 799 6140
F: 856 283 3950
M: 215 470 6084
anthony.mannino@wolfcre.com
