Bellweather County Signs Community Benefit Commitment for Former PES Oil Refinery

At least $100,000 per year in “flexible” funds for community priorities.

HRP Group calls the benefits document a “commitment” rather than an “agreement,” in part because the list of community groups and stakeholders that signed it is not a legal entity, said Amelia Chasse Alcivar, the company’s executive vice president of corporate affairs.

“This is really a unilateral commitment on our part to our community partners,” Chasse Alcivar said. “This does not require any support or advocacy from our community organizations, as many CBAs do. “Many CBAs require community approval for permits and zoning rights and other approvals associated with the development—and that’s not what we’re trying to do here.”

However, HRP says this commitment is still legally binding, as is the recently announced agreement with the Sixers and other similar agreements between developers.

Philly Thrive’s attorney had previously argued that the pledge was not binding, but the final version includes language that signatories can take legal action if they believe HRP is not complying with its terms. The document requires them to seek mediation or arbitration before filing a claim.

The public benefit obligation requires the company to contribute between $100,000 and $200,000 annually to a new discretionary fund, depending on the amount of building space the company has leased and received certificates of occupancy. The money can be used to fund nonprofit, non-political community initiatives—such as gun violence prevention or housing safety efforts.

“We thought it was important to have a flexible mechanism for the community to focus on the issues they are most focused on, and to recognize that those priorities could change over the course of the minimum 10-year life of this agreement,” Chasse Alcivar said.

The nonprofit distributing the fund will be governed by a seven-member advisory board, which will include one representative of the developer, four representatives of organizations on the company’s community advisory group, one of whom will be selected to serve as a member of the 2nd District Council, currently serving on the Council. President Kenyatta Johnson and two other members chosen by the council.

Johnson said he is confident the CBC is feasible and supports it because of the number of groups that have signed up to it. He cited CBC as one of the reasons for supporting the extension of tax incentives for the Keystone Opportunity Zone, in addition to the company’s restoration of the site, its plans to demolish a closed tank farm in southwest Philadelphia, its minority contracting obligations and partnerships. and expected job creation from the project.

“I believe they have done their due diligence in terms of working in partnership with the community, and I believe this investment will allow us to go even further in the future in terms of economic growth and development,” he said. “The community has spoken.”

According to Chasse Alcivar, public goods obligations include non-monetary provisions designed to ensure transparency. They say that upon request, the company will provide community advisory group members with project studies and briefings on specific elements of the development – such as flooding or road impacts – as well as annual reports on internships, workforce development opportunities and jobs gained by local residents. .

It summarizes aspects of the site’s development plans, including LEED certification of all new buildings and exceeding LEED’s requirement that 5% of passenger car parking spaces be electric vehicle ready. The developer promises “as a baseline” to meet the city’s tree planting requirements, “which could result in the planting of more than 10,000 new trees.”

The commitment also reflects an economic opportunity plan the developer signed with the city in 2020, in which the company set a goal of using 50% minority-owned businesses for construction and professional services contracts and hiring 50% minority and local construction workers strength. The commitment also states that employment and training opportunities will be concentrated in five zip codes in south and southwest Philadelphia closest to the site.