Westpark Apartment towers (Photo by West Philly Local)

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) broke ground yesterday on the first phase of the redevelopment of Westpark Apartments, the high rise public housing complex near 45th and Market.

The public-private effort between PHA and developers LMXD and MSquared will include 327 new units and will be developed across three buildings north of Market Street between Powelton Avenue and 46th Street during the first phase of the project. Nearly 140 units will be reserved for returning Westpark residents and 190 will be affordable to households earning between 20 and 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). The project will also include infrastructure development to reintegrate the site back into the city’s street grid, linking the campus for the first time to public transit and the broader neighborhood.

The first phase will also create over an acre of open space, a new pedestrian plaza linked to the nearby SEPTA station at 46th and Market Streets, retail space for local businesses, and a community center with on-site services.

Public financing sources for Westpark redevelopment include $21.3 million infrastructure funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, $2.6 million from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program and $3 million from the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Housing and Community Development program.

Construction on the first phase of the project is scheduled to be completed in 2028. Here are some more details on what it includes:

• Mid-Rise Building – New Construction

It will deliver 145 new apartments, 58 of which will be Project Based Vouchers (PBVs) dedicated to returning Westpark residents and 73 will be affordable to households earning between 20 to 80 percent of AMI. It will also feature 1,300 square feet of retail space targeting local Philadelphia businesses. There will be one acre of open space with a playground, lawn area, and an accessible pathway to Market Street and the 46th Street SEPTA station.

• Southernmost Existing Tower – Rehabilitated

It will include 141 units, 39 of which will be designated as PBVs for returning Westpark residents and 76 will be affordable to households earning between 20 and 80 percent of AMI. The ground floor will include a community center for residents with on-site vocational, educational, and healthcare services provided by the West Philadelphia based non-profit Eddie’s House.

• Southern Portion of the Campus – New Construction

This section will include 41 newly constructed units, all of which will be PBVs distributed first to returning Westpark residents and affordable to households earning up to 50 percent AMI.

Once fully completed, the Westpark Redevelopment initiative will include 1,000 new units, additional retail, comprehensive social services, four acres of new public open space and will be 100 percent electric, with a focus on rainwater capture and low carbon features. The development will include two community spaces.