The Site consists of an approximately 12-acre assemblage of parcels located at 8301 Torresdale Avenue in the City of Philadelphia.

Large portions of the western, eastern, and southeastern areas of the Site were used for heavy industrial operations such as large-scale manufacturing and bulk petroleum storage and distribution. Precision Grinding Wheel Company, Inc. manufactured grinding wheels in the western portion of the Site circa 1929 until sometime between 1982 and 1993. A large bulk petroleum storage and distribution facility operated under various companies in the eastern and southeastern portions of the Site circa 1929 until approximately the mid- to late- 1960s; however, the exact timeframe could not be determined. During this time, a large oil barrel filling structure, railroad spur for loading and/or unloading petroleum, numerous large aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) containing petroleum products, and numerous individual buildings were identified in connection with the bulk petroleum facility. Many of these operations were conducted during periods of little to no environmental regulations or regulatory oversight. More recently, the Site was occupied by various tenants engaged in auto repair and maintenance operations, storage operations, metal plating, vehicle junk yard operations, and other similar uses. 

The Site was recently purchased for redevelopment. Demolition of the above-grade portions of the existing buildings was completed in mid- to late- 2024 and redevelopment will commence in mid-2025 and go through mid-2026.

Environmental investigations performed at the Site to date have identified a small area of naphthalene contaminated soil, trichloroethylene (TCE) in groundwater in the northwest and western portions of the Site, and residual motor oil product in the soil and groundwater in a small area in the eastern portion of the Site.

BL Companies, Inc. is working with the new Site owner to investigate and remediate soil and groundwater contamination at the Site in accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) 25 PA Code Chapter 250 (Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act [Act 2]).

The proposed remediation measures will include the use of engineering and institutional controls to eliminate exposure pathways to contaminated soil and groundwater and to demonstrate attainment of the Site Specific Standard in accordance with the Land Recycling Program. The engineering and institutional controls are expected to include:

• Restriction against the use of groundwater beneath the Site for potable purposes.

• Installing and maintaining a cap (concrete, asphalt, building, and/or clean materials cover) over portions of the Site that have soil impacts or residual oil product.

• Any excavations completed at the Site will need to follow a Site-specific Soil and Groundwater Management Plan (SGWMP) that includes measures to protect worker safety and potential exposures to impacted media, as well as measures for proper handling, placement and/or disposal of any contaminated media.  

This website was developed to inform the general public of the following:

1. The planned redevelopment of the Site

2. The environmental conditions of the Site

3. The proposed remedial approach

Electronic copies of environmental reports can be downloaded here or using the link at the top of the page. Links to Pennsylvania DEP Act 2 websites are also provided for additional information.