Neighbors, EPX is seeking your involvement and support in an exciting and ongoing project that we are undertaking in partnership with the East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District (EPABID) and a local city planning and consulting firm called Planning Collective to “Reclaim Concrete” at the intersection of Passyunk, 12th and Morris. Currently a confusing and somewhat chaotic intersection, the idea is to convert unused portions of the intersection into more attractive pedestrian space, while simultaneously making it easier for motorists to navigate.
Some of you may already be familiar with ‘Reclaim Concrete’ from last week’s Flavors of the Avenue festival, where Planning Collective members were out meeting neighbors, gathering early feedback, and sharing success stories from other cities that have re-imagined similar intersections. Once grant money is in hand, Planning Collective will facilitate a community design process to determine how to program the space and what elements the neighborhood would most like to see.
Before that happens, we need to win the grant, and this is where you come in. We are seeking $50,000 for the project through Pepsi’s online grant program Refresh Everything. Pepsi is giving away a total of $20 million in 2010 to good ideas through the voter-driven program. Each month, money is awarded based on public online voting open to all U.S. residents. Voting for the East Passyunk Avenue project starts May 1st and U.S. residents can vote once a day through May 31 here. Our idea must be within the top 10 in the $50k category to receive the grant.
There is a short video about the project on Planning Collective’s website which you can watch here. We’ll be in touch throughout the month of May with occasional updates, and Planning Collective staff will be attending our meeting this Monday 5/3 to answer questions to briefly explain the project concept, answer any questions you may have, and explain the ways you can help get the vote out. We hope you’re excited to imagine the possibilities at this intersection and help us win this necessary funding.
Happy Voting!
