As part of PIDC’s application to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s PA-SITES grant program, ESI conducted a third-party evaluation of the feasibility and market potential associated with the proposed expansion of shipbuilding and industrial uses at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The 1,200-acre former naval installation requires site preparation of strategic parcels to support optimized shipbuilding operations.
For the market study, ESI researched and analyzed the demand drivers, supply constraints, and competitive positioning of the Navy Yard:
- Evaluating the proposed $25 million site-readiness investment to enable major capital investments by Navy Yard shipbuilding tenants
- Analyzing commercial and naval shipbuilding demand dynamics, including Jones Act requirements and U.S. Navy fleet expansion objectives
- Assessing supply constraints for large-vessel shipbuilding sites with deepwater access and maritime-industrial infrastructure
- Quantifying anticipated job growth from planned shipyard expansion, including increased vessel production capacity and workforce development programs
- Analyzing demographic and economic trends within the 30-minute drive-time Primary Market Area
Key data sources included PIDC tenant and facility records, federal shipyard capacity assessments, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment and labor force data, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey demographic data, Lightcast industry and employment analysis, federal policy documents (including presidential executive orders and the SHIPS for America Act), and maritime industry reports from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, Government Accountability Office, and Congressional Research Service.
ESI determined that the $25 million site-readiness investment will unlock strategic parcels essential to expand shipbuilding capacity. The Navy Yard is one of few U.S. locations combining deepwater access, dry docks, and maritime-industrial zoning. Demand is driven by commercial shipbuilding (Jones Act, offshore wind) and naval expansion.
