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Committee advances lease and sublease authority for Riverview Wellness Village project in Holmesburg
Summary
City officials testified in support of an ordinance authorizing lease or sublease agreements and intergovernmental cooperation with the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development to develop the Riverview Wellness Village on the Holmesburg prison complex grounds; testimony described the facility’s program and bed capacity.
Philadelphia City Council’s Committee on Public Property and Public Works voted to report an ordinance that would authorize the city to enter into lease or sublease agreements and an intergovernmental agreement with the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development (PAID) to develop the Riverview Wellness Village on the grounds of the prison complex in the Holmesburg section of Northeast Philadelphia.
Aparna Palantino, director of the Capital Program Office, told the committee the ordinance would allow the city to take title to a completed facility developed by PAID, and that the project would provide housing, health care, job counseling and other services to people exiting inpatient treatment. Palantino said the new facility “will ultimately be permitted to have up to 2,340 beds” (as stated in testimony) and that Council member Driscoll, whose district includes the site, supports the legislation. The Capital Program Office requested suspension of the rules to permit first reading at the next Council session.
Palantino framed the project as construction and ongoing renovations to create the Riverview Wellness Village; she identified PAID as the development partner and said the city would take title to the completed facility under the ordinance’s terms. No public witnesses testified on this bill during the committee hearing.
The committee reported the ordinance favorably and moved to suspend the rules for first reading. Next steps include finalizing the lease/sublease and intergovernmental agreements and scheduling the ordinance for full council consideration.
