The food theme continued in 2005 via several other major investments, including a $26-million, 138,236-sq.-ft. (12,842-sq.-m.) cold storage warehouse for frozen seafood from Liberty Bear, LLC, and a $100-million investment in the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market. Located at 4th and Packer Ave. in Philadelphia, the terminal is second only to New York's Hunts Point Terminal Market in produce sales in the United States, with annual sales of $1.1 billion.
   The latter project was in serious limbo over the past five years, and as recently as mid-2004 was headed for Camden, N.J., where the state had offered a $98-million facility for the 1,100-job complex. Offers from Philadelphia included a site at the foot of the Walt Whitman Bridge and another 85-acre (34-hectare) site at Philadelphia Navy Yard, which was at one time withdrawn but later proved to be the winning location.
   The new complex replaces one that had been used since 1959, and includes nearly 1 million sq. ft. (92,900 sq. m.) of space to accommodate some 85 different operations.
   Philadelphia won the battle to keep the terminal in part because of a Keystone Opportunity Improvement Zone encompassing the new site at Columbus Blvd. and Oregon Ave. in South Philly. City and then state legislation designating the zone was passed in short order during summer 2005.
   "I would like to thank our own state Senator, Vincent Fumo, for his help, support and guidance in our effort to find a new home for the 1,500 people who work at our businesses here in Philadelphia," said Sonny DiCrecchio, executive director of the Philadelphia Regional Produce Terminal, at the project announcement in September 2005. "Being born and raised in South Philadelphia, Senator Fumo understands the close ties that our businesses have with the city. We are often second- and third-generation family-owned businesses. Many of our employees live within a few miles of our plants and warehouses."
   Half the investment amount will be provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with the remainder coming from bonds backed by payments from a long-term lease signed by the merchants with the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA), which will assume control of the site from the PIDC.
   Since PRPA, a state entity, is the landlord, no property tax will be owed. Meanwhile, the old 30-acre (12-hectare) site will be taken over by the PIDC. Pennsylvania is also chipping in with transportation and utility upgrades, which should make the entire Navy Yard property more attractive for further projects.
   Like the Liberty Bear project, this one promises more refrigerated storage capacity — from 650,000 packages to 2.8 million packages — which brings with it the possibility of 25 percent more jobs at the terminal. Construction is projected to be complete by the end of 2007.
   "Governor Rendell and Senator Fumo are to be congratulated for their efforts to keep the Food Distribution Center in Philadelphia," said U.S. Congressman Bob Brady. "We could not afford to lose this operation to the other side of the bridge. The Navy Yard location offers the opportunity for expansion and it's a win-win for both the market and the Yard. We all worked hard to make this happen and we kept our shoulders to the grindstone until the deal was done."