Darien Crossing Regional Stormwater Retrofit

RES was awarded a Greened Acre Retrofit Program (GARP) grant to implement the Darien Crossing Regional Stormwater Retrofit on a parcel owned by the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC). The GARP program is a component of the Philadelphia Water Department’s (PWD) innovative Green City, Clean Waters Program, which was adopted in 2011 as Philadelphia’s plan to reduce stormwater pollution currently entering its combined sewer system using green infrastructure. This project, located near the very active stadium district in South Philadelphia, provides PWD a large-scale green stormwater project at a high-profile, highly visible, impervious-dominated part of the City. It provides a unique opportunity for RES to develop an innovative solution that addressed PWD’s programmatic goals, while maintaining the preferred land use of PIDC and the surrounding stakeholders.

The project includes the demolition of a vacant portion of an existing warehouse (while maintaining the remainder of the building’s tenants), installation of underground stormwater detention facilities, which will capture and store combined sewer overflows (CSO’s) before they reach the PWD system. The system will be capped with new parking and landscaping, which will be used by visitors to both Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park.

Additionally, RES executed a long-term lease agreement with PIDC to operate and maintain the facility for a 45-year period post-construction. PIDC and other stakeholders will benefit from reduced stormwater fees after implementation of the project.