With high poverty rates exacerbated by its disconnectedness from Center City, Kingsessing is now hoping that renewal could be on its way, writes Kyle Bagenstose for Hidden City.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced $2 million in funding for the cleanup of an old contaminated oil transfer site in Kingsessing in May. The project would clear the way for an extension of the Schuylkill River Trail and the construction of an adjacent rest station, as well as the completion of a planned biotech campus nearby.

There is also the currently ongoing $250 million renovation of the public housing development at nearby Bartram Village and a proposed project by SEPTA to upgrade the trolley service in the area. Additionally, a bevy of new recreational programs have been started or are in the works at the nearby Bartram’s Garden.

Adding to that, the $4 billion overhaul of the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery directly across the river from Kingsessing by Hilco Redevelopment Partners, and a more complete picture of a better future is forming

The potential result is reminiscent of transformations envisioned in the Lower Schuylkill Master Plan developed more than a decade ago, which envisioned more jobs in modern industries, improved transit, and greener environs — all of this should result in a better quality of life for many residents of Kingsessing.

Read more about what’s going on in Kingsessing in Hidden City.

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