WHEREAS, The City and the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development (“PAID”) desire to obtain funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Office of the Budget, in an amount not to exceed Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000) for the undertaking of approved Capital Budget projects under Section 4(c) of the Housing and Redevelopment Assistance Law as amended; and
WHEREAS, Guidelines issued pursuant to the Housing and Redevelopment Assistance Law, as amended, define a blighted area to include portions of an urban community with economically undesirable land uses; and
WHEREAS, The City and PAID recognize that blighting influences exist due to economically undesirable land use throughout the City; and
WHEREAS, Three projects (“Projects”) are being proposed in order to eliminate the existing blighting influence by renovating facilities to house educational, and health and community service delivery facilities; and
WHEREAS, The City and PAID desire to advance the necessary development of the above-referenced Projects; and
WHEREAS, The Housing and Community Development Program authorizes PAID to file applications for grants; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth regulations require the City and/or its designated project recipients to assume the provision of the full matching share of the project costs above the aggregate amount of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000); and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth regulations require the City to obligate itself to reimburse the Commonwealth for expenditures found to be ineligible and not reimbursed by the project recipient; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth regulations require the City to enter into a Cooperation Agreement between PAID and the City to create the mechanism to reimburse the state for project expenses found to be ineligible and not reimbursed by the project recipient; and to reimburse the state when warranted for project expenses on projects not completed within the agreed upon term of the grants; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth regulations require City Council’s approval prior to PAID’s submission of an application; now, therefore
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. The City of Philadelphia authorizes the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development (“PAID”) to file applications for Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program Grants through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Office of the Budget, including all understandings and assurances contained therein, in an aggregate amount not to exceed Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000) to assist in the development of and improvements to La Salle University Science and Technology Center, Lutheran Theological Seminary and Pleasant Playground, as individually described in Capital Budget Project Itemization Act 2004-40 and as described in Exhibit “A” attached hereto and incorporated herein.
SECTION 2. The City of Philadelphia authorizes PAID to enter into grant agreements with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Office of the Budget to carry out the purposes of this Ordinance.
The City and/or its designated project recipients will assume the provision of the full matching share of project costs above the aggregate amount of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000).
SECTION 4. The City or the designated project recipient will reimburse the Commonwealth for the State’s share of any expenditure awarded pursuant to this Ordinance that is found by the Office of the Budget to be ineligible.
SECTION 5. The City of Philadelphia and/or its designated project recipients also agree to guarantee that it shall fully complete the projects within the agreed upon term of the grant (including reasonable extensions requested by the City and/or its designated project recipients).
SECTION 6. The City Council of Philadelphia also authorizes the City to enter into an agreement with the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development (“PAID”) whereby the City and/or its designated project recipients, at the discretion of the City, will assume the provision of the full local share of the project costs above Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000); or to reimburse the Commonwealth for project expenditures for projects not completed within the agreed upon term of the grants.
EXHIBIT “A”
PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS
La Salle University Science and Technology Center:
The project will consist of demolition of existing tennis courts and construction of a new 85,000 square foot Science and Technology Center located at 20th and Olney Streets behind the existing La Salle University Library. The new Science and Technology Center will include new classrooms, labs, and support facilities. The approximate total project cost is $27,000,000
RACP Grant
$ 1,000,000
Lutheran Theological Seminary:
As part of the Lutheran Theological Seminary, located at 7301 Germantown Avenue, the project consists of building a new facility to house the Seminary’s public archive collection. The total project cost is approximately $19 million.
RACP Grant
$500,000
Pleasant Playground:
The project will consist of renovations to the playground located at Boyer and Pleasant Streets.
RACP Grant
$1,000,000
End