Photos live HERE.
PHILADELPHIA, PA | May 8, 2025 – Today, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro joined Department of Commerce and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger, Pennsylvania State Senator Nikil Saval, Pennsylvania State Representative Morgan Cephas, PIDC President Jodie Harris, Executive Vice President of the Navy Yard Kate McNamara, Ensemble Investments Managing Directors Brian Cohen and Mark Seltzer, Mosaic Development Partners Co-founder Leslie Smallwood-Lewis, and IBEW Local 98 Business Manager Mark Lynch, to announce a transformative $30 million investment through the Commonwealth’s new PA SITES for the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
The PA SITES (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites) program is a new Commonwealth economic development initiative that supports site development to create more shovel-ready sites for businesses to help Pennsylvania compete, attract investment, and create jobs.
“When I took office, I made clear that my Administration would be focused on making Pennsylvania more competitive and making us a leader in economic development, job creation, and innovation,” said Governor Shapiro. “We’ve heard loud and clear: Pennsylvania needs more shovel-ready sites to compete for businesses and good-paying jobs. Thanks to the work of the PIDC and the city, business, and economic development leaders in partnership with our unions, the Philadelphia waterfront has become a key economic driver for the Commonwealth, and as part of our first round of PA SITES funding, I’m proud to invest in the next stage of the Philadelphia Navy Yard’s success. These investments lay the groundwork to attract companies, strengthen communities, and make sure our Commonwealth is ready to compete – and win – in today’s economy.”
The $30 million investment in the Navy Yard is the largest grant awarded in the inaugural round and nearly half of the $64 million distributed across 11 projects statewide. Governor Shapiro and his Administration developed PA SITES after soliciting feedback from national site selectors who help companies decide where to relocate and grow. Governor Shapiro worked across the aisle to secure $500 million for site development in his 2024-25 budget, including $400 million for PA SITES. As a result
of the successful program and Governor Shapiro’s advocacy, Pennsylvania was rated the top state in the Northeast for Regional Economic Competitiveness by Site Selector magazine.
“This transformative investment from the Commonwealth’s innovative new PA SITES program strengthens the Navy Yard’s role as a powerful engine of job creation and economic growth throughout Philadelphia and Pennsylvania,” said Jodie Harris, President of PIDC. “It will help attract new businesses, support the expansion of our life sciences and advanced manufacturing industries, and create hundreds of good-paying jobs across a wide range of skill and educational levels. This is about building opportunity for workers, for small businesses, and for the long-term prosperity of Philadelphia and the region.”
This significant funding advances the development of 54 acres in the Navy Yard’s Greenway District to accommodate up to 700,000 square feet of new advanced manufacturing and commercial space. Infrastructure improvements funded by the grant will create shovel-ready parcels aimed at attracting a range of employers from anchor institutions and global firms to emerging startups and service providers in life sciences, research, advanced manufacturing, and other cutting-edge industries. Located within one of the fastest-growing life sciences hubs in the U.S., the Greenway District offers a once-in-a generation opportunity to build large-scale, flexible buildings just minutes from Center City, University’s City’s cutting-edge research institutions and critical transportation assets including Philadelphia International Airport, 30th Street Station, I-95, I-76, and SEPTA’s regional transit system.
The project is expected to create hundreds of high-quality jobs across skill levels, supporting local union labor, small business contractors, and a growing pipeline of STEM professionals. It is also a cornerstone of Governor Shapiro’s broader economic strategy to ensure Pennsylvania is competitive in attracting business investment and long-term job growth. The PA SITES program was developed after consulting with national site selectors who emphasized the urgent need for ready-to-build locations across the Commonwealth.
“We are thrilled to see this transformational investment coming through the PA Sites program directed to the Navy Yard,” said Mark Seltzer, Managing Director at Ensemble Investments. “This vital support from the Commonwealth builds on the Navy Yard’s existing momentum and provides the opportunity to continue attracting leading-edge companies and institutions to the Navy Yard and position Philadelphia and Pennsylvania as a national hub for advanced industries.”
This initiative is part of a broader vision led by PIDC, which assumed control of the Navy Yard in 2000 through an agreement with the City of Philadelphia. Following the official closure of the Naval Base in 1996, PIDC was charged with the long-term stewardship and redevelopment of the 1,200-acre site. Over the past two decades, PIDC has transformed the Navy Yard from a decommissioned naval shipyard into a thriving, modern business campus that today includes over 8 million square feet of occupied space, more than 150 companies, and 16,000 jobs across industries including life sciences, manufacturing, retail, and energy.
In 2022, developers Ensemble/Mosaic, in partnership with PIDC, unveiled an ambitious 20-year plan for the Navy Yard to leverage the Navy Yard’s past corporate successes and transform the property into
Philadelphia’s newest neighborhood, including residential, office, research & development, advanced manufacturing, retail, and hospitality. Ensemble and Mosaic’s development under the new plan will add 8 million square feet of LEED-certified buildings, 3 million square feet of which is earmarked for the development of life science facilities.
“Over the last 13 years, I’ve had a front-row seat to the Navy Yard’s incredible transformation – to a hub of innovation and opportunity with incredible impact and job growth,” said Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson. “With Governor Shapiro’s support, now it’s more than just growth, it’s a generational opportunity to build a stronger, more inclusive economy for Philadelphia.”
The launch of new development districts like the Greenway District builds upon the Navy Yard’s success, continuing PIDC’s mission to generate equitable economic growth, attract private investment, and establish the Navy Yard as a model for 21st-century urban regeneration. With over $2 billion invested to date, more than 150 companies on campus, and 16,000 jobs created, the Navy Yard has already established itself as a national model for urban redevelopment. Led by PIDC and development partners Ensemble/Mosaic, its next chapter aims to double employment to over 30,000 jobs at full buildout, realizing a long-term vision for inclusive economic development, innovation, and neighborhood-building.
###
About Ensemble/Mosaic
Ensemble/Mosaic is a joint venture between Ensemble Investments, LLC and Mosaic Development Partners JV. The partnership is the exclusive developer of a 109-acre mixed-use development at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia, including office, life science, retail, hospitality and the first residential complex to be built in the community. Ensemble/Mosaic, in partnership with PIDC, directed the creation of the 2022 Navy Yard Comprehensive Plan. Ensemble/Mosaic has pledged $1B over 20 years to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring and initiatives. Ensemble Investments, LLC, established in 1989 and with offices in Long Beach, California, Philadelphia and Phoenix, has successfully invested and developed more than $2 billion in real estate across the United States. Mosaic Development Partners JV is a Philadelphia-based, minority certified (MBE) commercial real estate development firm established in 2008. Mosaic focuses on ground-up development and adaptive reuse of land and buildings. For more information, visit http://www.ensemblemosaic.com, www.ensemble.net, and www.mosaicdp.com
About PIDC and the Philadelphia Navy Yard
PIDC is Philadelphia’s public-private economic development corporation. Since acquiring the 1,200-acre site from the federal government in 2000, PIDC has been the lead developer and site operator of the Navy Yard. PIDC’s mission—to spur investment, support business growth, and facilitate developments that create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, and drive growth to every corner of Philadelphia—strongly informs its strategy for the Navy Yard, where the focus is on building a cohesive community that fosters employment, innovation, and production. PIDC manages all aspects of the property’s management and development, including master planning, leasing, property management, infrastructure development, utility operation, and structuring development transactions. For more information, please visit www.pidcphila.com |www.navyyard.org.
