Philadelphia – June 6, 2019 – State Senator Art Haywood (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia) was joined by Philip Dawson, Executive Director of the Chestnut Hill Business District, for a check presentation and press conference today at 8400 Germantown Avenue (in front of Iron Hill Brewery.) The Chestnut Hill Business District received a $225,000 grant from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Multimodal Transportation Fund for the Chestnut Hill Pedestrian Lighting Project (CHPLP).

The CHPLP involves the installation of street-scale lighting to improve the streetscape, pedestrian safety, and nighttime illumination in the community. The project covers Germantown Avenue from Cresheim Valley Road to Rex Avenue and Bethlehem Pike from Germantown Avenue to Chestnut Hill Avenue.

“Street lighting improves safety and comfort of neighbors walking on Germantown Avenue,” said Senator Haywood. “I am glad to assist in this community improvement project.”

Neighborhood revitalization is a priority for the Chestnut Hill Business District, where more than 100 unique shops and businesses and nearly 11,000 residents call home. Economic growth and community safety are two reasons that inspired the project. Fundraising began in 2016, following the completion of Chestnut Hill’s 2015 Streetscape Plan, which identified the need for lamppost replacements and upgrades.

“Public lighting supports economic growth by increasing the amount of time that people can spend on dining and entertainment after dark,” said Dawson. “Our business corridor is a key destination for shoppers to ‘buy local,’ and this project will help keep our community thriving.”

The total implementation budget for the project is $4.5 million.  $2.25 million has been raised to date, including $1.5 million from the City of Philadelphia’s Commerce Department in 2016 and a previous $500,000 state grant from the DCED Multimodal Transportation Fund.

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Media Relations Contact:

Kendall Alexander
On behalf of Senator Haywood
215-242-8171
kendall.alexander@pasenate.com

Nya Sturrup
On behalf of the Chestnut Hill Business District
215-867-8060
nya@enroutemarketing.com