Emergency Declaration Pushes Philly Affordable Project Ahead

Intervention from the mayor is finally pushing a significant affordable housing project forward in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority plans to start demolishing dozens of aging buildings in Bartram Village next month after an emergency declaration was issued by Mayor Cherelle Parker, WHYY reported. The declaration clears the way for the razing of 44 buildings, which was held up by a federal review process.

The relevant properties in the Southwest Philadelphia complex have been vacant since last year, awaiting redevelopment. Since then, they’ve been taken over by squatters despite the city’s efforts to increase security and board up properties.

“This action clears the way to remove those hazards and replace them with new housing, new opportunity, and new investment,” Parker said in a statement about the declaration.

City Council member Jamie Gauthier celebrated the next step on the path towards redevelopment, though not without criticizing the time it took to get an emergency declaration, particularly in light of the extensive property damage wrought at neighboring Bartram’s Garden.

The buildings on the 22-acre site will be replaced with 514 units of public housing, a project spearheaded by the Philadelphia Housing Authority. It’s part of a $425 million redevelopment of the complex, which dates back to the 1940s. Residents of the complex will have the right to return upon completion.

The 500-plus unit project is actually the second phase of the redevelopment of the public housing complex. The first phase was revealed two years ago, seeing the housing authority partner with low-income housing developer Pennrose on a 64-unit project that will include townhomes and apartments. A community room, playground and other amenities are also planned.

Completion of that phase is close. In all, there will be 688 units created by the redevelopment, which also includes smaller sites with homeownership opportunities.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority is the largest landlord in Pennsylvania.

— Holden Walter-Warner