PHILADELPHIA, PA — While cranes and construction crews quietly reshaped neighborhoods across Philadelphia last year, much of the work happened far from public view, inside a little-known city office steering hundreds of millions of dollars in long-term infrastructure investment.
In its newly released 2025 report, the Capital Program Office detailed a year of sweeping capital activity that touched nearly every corner of city life, from libraries and parks to police stations, firehouses, and public health facilities. The office managed more than 300 capital projects in various stages of planning, design, and construction, reinforcing its role as the backbone of Philadelphia’s public building strategy.
The Capital Program Office oversees capital planning, design, and construction for city facilities, working in coordination with the City Planning Commission, Budget Office, and operating departments. Its portfolio spans Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Police, Fire, Prisons, Public Health, the Free Library of Philadelphia, Fleet Services, the Office of Homeless Services, and other core agencies.
Among the most visible projects underway in 2025 was a $5.6 million reconstruction of the Schuylkill River Wall along Kelly Drive, replacing an 80-year-old structure to stabilize the riverbank and protect the heavily used Schuylkill River Trail.
In health and human services, the office completed a 127,000-square-foot renovation at Riverview Wellness Village, reopening the site in just 90 days to provide 340 beds of recovery housing and support services. The work marked a major expansion of the city’s effort to consolidate treatment, housing, and care for vulnerable populations.
Public safety investments also advanced, with upgrades completed at Engine 49 in Lower Moyamensing, where crews replaced the apparatus bay floor, improved drainage, and installed energy-efficient lighting in the historic 1956 firehouse. In September, the city broke ground on the North Central Public Safety Building, a $40 million, 30,600-square-foot facility that will house the 22nd Police District and a new Police Athletic League center, the first newly constructed district police station in more than two decades.
Libraries and civic landmarks were not left out. Roof and skylight upgrades were completed at Parkway Central Library and the Philadelphia Zoo, protecting historic structures while improving durability and natural light at two of the city’s most recognizable institutions.
A major share of the work flowed through Rebuild, a signature initiative within the Capital Program Office funded through a public-private partnership with the William Penn Foundation and revenue from the Philadelphia Beverage Tax. In 2025, Rebuild completed 14 neighborhood projects and trained 31 residents in the skilled trades. One of the year’s headline reopenings was Paschalville Library, which returned to service after a $13.2 million renovation that modernized the 1915 building with ADA upgrades, a new media hub, and expanded community spaces.
Community engagement remained central to project delivery. Residents participated in design workshops and public meetings across the city, including planning sessions for the future Carousel House, an inclusive recreation center, and discussions at Simons Recreation Center focused on safety, accessibility, and outdoor improvements.
Beyond bricks and mortar, the office emphasized workforce development and business support. Its Business Supports Program connected local and small businesses to public works opportunities while helping residents prepare for careers in the skilled trades, often in partnership with labor unions and training organizations.
Internally, the office moved to strengthen oversight and efficiency. In 2025, it partnered with Drexel University to expand internship opportunities and began piloting Procore, a cloud-based construction management platform. After training more than 40 staff members, a department-wide rollout is planned for 2026 to improve project tracking, collaboration, and financial transparency across hundreds of active projects.
Looking ahead, the Capital Program Office plans to streamline operations, expand facility assessments, and launch a public Capital Projects Finder Dashboard that will allow residents to explore active and completed projects, including budgets and timelines.
“A better city isn’t built by government alone. It takes all of us working together,” said Aparna Palantino, deputy managing director and director of the Capital Program Office.
As Philadelphia prepares for a high-profile 2026, the report makes clear that much of the groundwork is already being laid, one project at a time, in neighborhoods citywide.
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