City of Philadelphia

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PHL Taking Care of Business Clean Corridors Program

Creating employment opportunities for residents while keeping Philadelphia’s neighborhood commercial corridors clean.

About

Philadelphia Taking Care of Business (PHL TCB) Clean Corridors Program funds community-based nonprofits to sweep sidewalks and remove litter within neighborhood commercial corridors.

PHL TCB has four main goals:

Maintain clean commercial districts in Philadelphia neighborhoods.
Promote the economic success of neighborhood businesses by creating an inviting environment for shoppers.
Create work opportunities for Philadelphians.
Grow the capacity of local small businesses and organizations that provide cleaning services.

PHL TCB invests in people and small businesses by creating employment opportunities for residents and keeping Philadelphia’s neighborhood commercial corridors clean.

The program is part of a larger effort by the Department of Commerce to enhance and promote vibrant commercial corridors. Resources and programs include:

Storefront improvement grants.
One-on-one support for businesses.
Funding for local organizations to promote and improve neighborhood shopping areas.
Streetscape improvements.

Increased funding for commercial corridor cleaning—championed by former Councilwoman Cherelle Parker and secured by City Council in November 2019—made PHL TCB possible.

Connect

Address	Department of Commerce 1515 Arch St., 12th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102
Email	business@phila.gov
	Phone: (215) 683-2100
Social	Facebook Twitter Instagram

How it works

Process

The City used the following process to identify commercial corridors and cleaning organizations.

The City designated cleaning areas within neighborhood commercial corridors based on the:
- Number of businesses.
- Pedestrian volume.
- Need for cleaning.
The City selected community-based nonprofits to clean these shopping districts through a competitive process.
These cleaning organizations either hire cleaning ambassadors directly or subcontract with a cleaning firm.

Many cleaning organizations hire private cleaning firms. As of March 2024, all of the private cleaning firms that are a part of TCB are Philadelphia-based minority-owned businesses.

Cleaning ambassadors

We encourage cleaning organizations to hire neighborhood residents, including formerly incarcerated people. Most cleaning ambassadors work on a crew of four people, for three to five days a week. Cleaning ambassadors: