Months after being sworn into office, Mayor Cherelle Parker established the Capital Program Office (CPO) through an executive order with one big goal: to help the City deliver capital projects more effectively and efficiently. Mayor Parker identified this as a priority need because nearly every City department relies on public facilities—from libraries to fire stations—and safe, functional spaces are key to delivering high-quality services to residents.
Capital planning is the process cities use to plan, fund, and manage investments in public infrastructure. Effective planning ensures that public facilities are functional and aligned with community priorities, while balancing limited resources and long-term sustainability. The creation of a centralized office enables us to take a holistic view of what is working, and what isn’t, across the hundreds of capital projects the City manages.
Our mission is straightforward in concept, yet challenging to execute: complete capital projects on time and within budget, while ensuring a meaningful community impact. Our team manages individual project budgets, oversees design and construction, helps shape the capital budget, and develops strategies to accelerate project completion.
Cobbs Creek community members gathered on September 12, 2025 for a community planting day at Johnny Sample Recreation Center. Neighbors and City officials gathered to plant over 2,000 native plant species. | Photo courtesy of Capital Program Office
Why CPO Is a Necessary and Critical Department in the Parker Administration
Big wins don’t come from one bold move, but from small, steady improvements that help us achieve bold goals over time. That is the mindset we are bringing to how our team manages public projects.
Philadelphia is an old city with aging infrastructure. Over the years, our city faced significant obstacles in maintaining its public facilities, including its wealth of beautiful historic buildings. These buildings are a tremendous asset, but a historic budget shortfall for maintenance and capital improvements has created deep and lasting challenges. There is no single fix, but by identifying small improvements at every step–from planning to expediting internal processes–I believe we will see real progress.
That is why Mayor Parker created CPO. Not to promise the impossible, but to bring subject matter experts from across City government together to focus on the unglamorous, often hidden work that keeps projects on track.
Scaling Impact Across the City
Among the city’s most impactful investments are those in our shared public spaces—recreation centers, libraries, and parks.
Rebuild, launched under former Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration and funded by the beverage tax and a $100 million gift from the William Penn Foundation, represents a $500 million investment in 72 neighborhood spaces, most in Philadelphia’s highest-need communities.
Rebuild’s early years weren’t without challenges, from pandemic delays to slow construction timelines. Mayor Parker established the Capital Program Office, not to gloss over the challenges faced by Rebuild and other City capital projects, but to confront them head-on to carry forward what works and fix what doesn’t.
By taking a high-level view of all City construction projects, we’re doing exactly that–identifying bottlenecks, finding opportunities for collaboration, and implementing standardized practices across all projects to address delays. When projects fall behind or exceed budgets, CPO works with departments to develop corrective action plans and realign resources.
In the first six months of 2025, Rebuild alone celebrated five ribbon cuttings and two groundbreakings, representing a $64 million investment in Philadelphia communities. The department as a whole celebrated 22 completed projects and five groundbreakings, totaling $96 million invested in public space.
This incredible momentum reflects the dedication of City staff, past and present, community partners, and project funders.
With roughly 200-plus active construction projects in our portfolio at any given time, our challenge now is to take every project as an opportunity to build trust, increase transparency with communities, expand economic opportunity, and deepen partnerships with those who share our vision of a safer, cleaner, greener city with access to economic opportunity for all.
The Riverview Wellness Village: Addressing Critical Community Needs
The Riverview Wellness Village exemplifies CPO’s comprehensive approach to the mayor’s One Philly, A United City agenda. This 127,000-square-foot, 336-bed facility offers housing, healthcare, workforce development, and other support services for individuals transitioning from treatment to recovery. What would have taken 14 months under normal conditions, construction and renovations were completed in just 90 days.
One of several renovated courtyards within the grounds of Riverview Wellness Center, originally designed by Cornelia Oberlander, a trailblazing landscape architect who was the first woman to graduate from Harvard’s landscape architecture program. | Photo courtesy of Capital Program Office
CPO’s management of Riverview’s design, construction, and opening demonstrates our ability to deliver projects that address urgent community needs. The interdepartmental coordination required for this success–bringing together health services, housing, and facility management experts from a variety of City departments–illustrates how centralized management can expedite projects that meet these needs.
Reviving a Community Hub: The Vare Recreation Center Transformation
The renovation of Vare Recreation Center is a powerful example of how strong strategic partnerships can help supercharge public investment in community spaces. This $21 million project brought together the City, the William Penn Foundation, Make the World Better Foundation, the Philadelphia Eagles, and Southwest Philly residents to reimagine a facility that has served the Gray’s Ferry neighborhood for over a century.
In partnership with the Make the World Better Foundation, we introduced upgrades that elevate the standard for recreation facilities. We transformed a city block with a new building and outdoor areas featuring playgrounds and recreation space. Support from partners like the Philadelphia Eagles, who funded the key athletic field improvements alongside contributions from the Rosenthal Foundation and state agencies, showcases how diverse partners can amplify public investment.
The new and improved Vare Recreation Center in Gray’s Ferry. | Photo courtesy of Capital Program Office
Vare Recreation Center is now Rebuild’s largest completed project to date and was the first recreation center in the city to receive high-speed fiber optic internet. Vare is setting a new standard for what community-centered, tech-forward, and inclusive spaces can look like when collaboration is at the heart of the work.
Creating Economic Opportunity
CPO’s mission extends far beyond physical construction. Through Rebuild’s comprehensive Workforce Development Program and strategic contracting, the office creates meaningful, long-term economic opportunities throughout Philadelphia. The results speak for themselves. Nearly 55 percent of contract dollars flow to small businesses– concrete evidence of the City’s commitment to ensuring public investment strengthens local communities and drives local economic growth.
The impact reaches deep into Philadelphia’s workforce. Through Rebuild’s Skilled Trade Academies, more than 170 residents have been trained in trades like carpentry and masonry; over 70 percent secured union apprenticeships or full-time jobs.
Business development forms another critical pillar of this strategy. Rebuild’s Emerging Vendors Program has supported 74 small businesses, many of which expanded their capacity to bid on public contracts through City-sponsored training and mentorship.
This integrated approach–leveraging capital investment to create new pathways into the skilled trades for residents and opportunities for businesses to develop–positions CPO as catalysts for economic opportunity in Philadelphia.
The One Philly Vision in Action
The collaborative approach at Vare Recreation Center and Riverview Wellness Village, and the economic opportunities offered through our workforce development and business support programs, exemplify the mayor’s “One Philly” vision. These projects and programs show what’s possible when City departments, community partners, and funders work together towards a shared goal.
For CPO, the “One Philly” approach means bringing together City departments, community stakeholders, and experts to solve problems and accelerate progress. Creating economic opportunities for residents alongside physical improvements. Identifying and addressing challenges early to ensure projects stay on track
Yet, our commitment doesn’t end when the ribbon is cut. We invite residents to stay involved. Join your local park’s friends group, attend a community engagement meeting, register for the Skilled Trades Academy, or sign up to volunteer with Love Your Park.
A better city isn’t built by government alone. It takes all of us working together.
To learn more or connect with our office, drop us a line at CPO@phila.gov
Good article……I didn’t see any projects in th e Northeast…just saying