Project OverviewJASTECH Development Services, Inc. (JASTECH) is a community‑based organization focused on environmental remediation, workforce development and science‑based education in West Philadelphia. For nearly 28 years, JASTECH has worked to reduce environmental burdens and expand access to education and employment opportunities in historically underserved neighborhoods. The CommunityJASTECH operates in the Overbrook neighborhood of West Philadelphia, an area that has experienced decades of disinvestment driven by redlining, industrial decline and environmental contamination. Residents have faced persistent challenges related to:
Historically, Overbrook was a thriving industrial and residential corridor, benefiting from proximity to regional rail lines and employment centers. Economic downturns beginning in the 1970s led to widespread factory closures, job losses, and long‑term underinvestment in both infrastructure and opportunity. |
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The Need
JASTECH is positioned to expand its programming following the successful remediation and reuse of a former brownfield site on Lancaster Avenue. To sustain and grow its environmental education, workforce training and community science initiatives, the organization requires flexible operating capital to support program delivery and ongoing remediation work amid shifting public funding priorities.
The Project
The proposed New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) transaction will provide growth operating capital to support prepaid rent under a new lease with a related entity, as well as working capital tied to environmental remediation and education programming.
JASTECH has a proven track record of managing complex environmental projects, including completing Phase I and Phase II environmental assessments, securing an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Cleanup Grant under the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, and complying with Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act. The project has already benefited from more than 70% Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) participation in design and engineering services. With additional capital, JASTECH will expand education programming, urban reforestation efforts, and green infrastructure initiatives, all of which will strengthen environmental resilience and access to opportunity along the Lancaster Avenue corridor.
The Sponsor
JASTECH is a dual‑impact organization focused on both physical environmental transformation and educational empowerment. Its work spans urban reforestation, stormwater management, green building consulting and community science education.
By integrating technical training with community‑based learning, JASTECH supports pathways into STEM‑related careers while addressing the root causes of environmental injustice. Its programs are designed to reflect and serve the community from which participants originate, reinforcing local capacity and long‑term economic resilience.
The Impact
This project will support up to 39 direct and indirect jobs across environmental remediation, green infrastructure and education programming. Annually, JASTECH expects to serve approximately 720 students and parents, increase classroom training by 25%, and train more than 100 community members in tree planting and green infrastructure practices.
With continued support, JASTECH will maintain environmental stewardship across five commercial corridors representing approximately 170 businesses, sustaining litter scores below 1.5 and improving public health outcomes in the surrounding neighborhood.
But‑for Analysis
Without NMTC financing, JASTECH would be unable to sustain and expand its programming at a time of heightened community need and constrained public funding. Restricted access to capital limits the organization’s capacity to scale remediation, workforce training and science education programs.
NMTC financing bridges this gap by providing the operating flexibility necessary to advance programming that would otherwise be delayed or reduced. This investment supports continued environmental remediation, expanded educational access and workforce development in one of Philadelphia’s most environmentally burdened communities.
