About Our Community-Led Effort

We’re neighbors, parents, renters, homeowners, business owners, and longtime South Philly residents who care about what gets built at 16th & Washington—and how it affects the people already here.

We formed a community-led working group after learning that a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for this project had been drafted without broad community involvement and did not reflect the diversity of our neighborhood. Our goal is to reset the process, invite everyone in, and shape a set of benefits that actually serves the community.

What We Believe

  • Development should benefit everyone. New investment must consider impacts on light, safety, traffic, parking, small businesses, and public space—not just the building itself.
  • The process matters. Agreements crafted behind closed doors don’t build trust. We insist on open, transparent, and inclusive engagement.
  • Time to do it right. We support a continuance at the ZBA so there’s time for real public input and a better CBA.
  • We’re not “anti‑development.” We want good design, fair agreements, and long‑term neighborhood benefits.

Why We Organized

  • A CBA was produced without community meetings and without representative voices.
  • Key details have shifted frequently, creating confusion and eroding trust.
  • Our near‑neighbors will feel the biggest day‑to‑day impacts (height, shadows, traffic, deliveries, parking).
  • We need time and a fair process to evaluate what’s on the table and to negotiate improvements.

What’s Happened So Far (Short Timeline)

  • Public information sessions raised major concerns about height, density, loading/traffic, and transparency.
  • Shadow studies & height changes have been discussed, but near‑neighbors remain concerned about light and scale.
  • Parking & loading plans remain unclear, especially the impact on nearby residential streets.
  • CBA process to date lacked broad, inclusive community participation—so we started one that does.

Our working group has been meeting regularly, documenting feedback, and organizing proposals across key categories (see below). This is ongoing and open to you.

The Categories We’re Working On

We’re not publishing specifics yet—our group voted to share categories, not numbers—but here’s where we’re focused:

  • Building Scale & Design (height, stepbacks, light, shadows, materials)
  • Traffic, Loading & Safety (deliveries, bus routes, child & pedestrian safety)
  • Parking & Curb Management (clear plans, equitable access, EV/ADA, curb cuts)
  • Public Space & Courtyard Access (true public access, landscaping, trash, maintenance, community room)
  • Local Hiring & Fair Work (targets for local/union jobs, apprenticeships, training)
  • Affordable Housing (lower AMI, permanence, fair tenant selection, fee transparency)
  • Neighborhood Protections (construction damage bond, pest mitigation, communication, litigation escrow)
  • Small Business & Retail Mix (affordable local retail for diverse, neighborhood‑serving uses)
  • Enforcement & Oversight (escrow, monitoring, conflict‑of‑interest safeguards)
  • Community Fund (donations to help support the local community)
  • Western Parcel / Green Space (clarity, restrictions, or community open space)
  • Existing Trees (preserved and protected)
  • Automatic Termination (should not be caused by self-inflicted delays)
  • Conflict of Interest (explicit recusal)

How We Work

  • Open & inclusive. Anyone in the neighborhood can participate—especially those most impacted.
  • Transparent. We publish meeting summaries and keep a public record of progress.
  • Collaborative. We want to work with all RCOs and local stakeholders on a unified, community‑driven CBA.
  • Practical. We’re solutions‑oriented and focused on outcomes the neighborhood can feel for years.

How You Can Help (Right Now)

Our Promise

We will keep listening, keep sharing what we learn, and keep pushing for a fair, transparent, community‑led agreement.

This is our neighborhood—let’s shape it together.