Update on the Equal Justice Center

By Thomas A. Brophy, president and CEO at Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, P.C., and president of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.

The Philadelphia Bar Foundation is Philadelphia’s philanthropic hub for access to justice. We are the only foundation in the city solely dedicated to strengthening our city’s legal services system. However, our work involves far more than grantmaking.

The Equal Justice Center is a prime example of the wide range of programs managed by the Foundation. In April of this year, the EJC project achieved a major milestone when it was selected and approved by the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for construction at a site in Chinatown at Eighth and Vine streets. The EJC is now part of a comprehensive plan to develop the Eight and Vine street site. The project team includes EZ Park, Pennrose Properties, the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, United Development and WRT. The overall development involves four separate buildings and other common features, including the EJC, affordable senior housing, market-rate rental apartments, a hotel, a large public green space with connections to the Chinatown neighborhood, community meeting rooms, retail business space, parking areas and other attractive elements.

This iteration of the EJC project began approximately five years ago when the Foundation, led by Judge Wendy Beetlestone, conceived a plan to aggregate most the legal aid agencies into one central location. The ultimate goal has always been to set a new national standard for inter-agency collaboration and operational efficiency for free legal services. The facility is expected to house 20-25 public service legal aid agencies from all around the city. The building will be a highly energy efficient facility encompassing approximately 160,000 square feet of office and retail space.

The Foundation has worked closely with our nonprofit partners and others to design the EJC to allow the legal-aid nonprofits and their clients to benefit from the efficiencies and synergies created by co-location. The EJC will allow Philadelphia residents to commute to one centrally located building to receive assistance, as opposed to traveling throughout the city to obtain the multiple services they often need to fully protect their rights. Due to a shared efficiency model, the EJC will help participating organizations to strengthen operations, reduce expenses, provide more efficient services and improve client outcomes. It is expected that the ownership and financing structure will allow the nonprofits to ultimately own the facility, and therefore secure their future delivery of quality legal services to the entire city.

The EJC will stand as a symbol of the Philadelphia’s commitment to the promise of equality under law, and as an enduring structure that continues to give back to the city and the Greater Philadelphia region. In total, the economic and social impact of this facility will exceed $200 million per year, benefiting thousands of clients and the whole community.

After many years of careful planning, we are truly grateful for the opportunity to move forward with the EJC project to benefit the Chinatown community and the whole city. We thank the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority and the many Philadelphia leaders who have been deeply engaged in guiding this important effort. We look forward to working closely with Mayor Jim Kenney, Council President Darrell L. Clarke, Philadelphia City Council and other leaders to implement this project.

We are also committed to developing the Eighth and Vine site for the benefit of Chinatown. Community collaboration remains crucial to take in and reflect the community’s values and aspirations. We will work closely with the community to ensure this project meets their needs now and in the future. We welcome the involvement of local stakeholders to refine the development in response to community needs and priorities.

We have confidence in a bright future for all people in Philadelphia and are excited to begin implementing this project in partnership with the community and with city leaders. The next steps for implementation include a listening tour with Chinatown residents and business and community leaders this summer.

Read more information about the EJC, including a detailed analysis of the estimated social and economic impact of the project.

Thank you for your support of the Foundation and our access to justice mission. Your donations are greatly appreciated, and can be made securely online.