An artist’s rendering of redeveloped Bartram Village.

Mayor Cherelle Parker has issued an emergency declaration allowing the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) to bypass some federal regulations and immediately demolish 45 vacant apartment buildings at the Bartram Village site, according to a report by the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Officials stated the emergency order was prompted by public safety hazards, noting that the vacant structures have suffered property damage from trespassers and squatters.

The demolition clears the way for the “Blossom at Bartram” redevelopment plan led by PHA and developer Pennrose. Supported by a $50 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant, the total project cost exceeds $250 million. The plan will replace the 1940s-era housing complex located next to historic Bartram’s Garden with a 688-unit mixed-income development.

According to the documents, the final footprint will include:

Affordable Housing: Replacement of all 500 existing deeply affordable rental units, plus additional affordable options.

Structural Types: 277 row-house-style homes, two senior apartment buildings, one multi-family building, seven walk-up apartments, and 30 affordable homes designated for residents transitioning to homeownership.

Market-Rate Housing: 114 market-rate units to establish a mixed-income community.

Infrastructure: A community center, pocket parks, updated lighting, security cameras, and street trees to connect the site to the Kingsessing corridor and Bartram’s Garden.

Construction is being executed in phases to prevent immediate displacement. Work began on a vacant lot next to the Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School, allowing some residents to move directly into new units as older structures are cleared. Remaining residents are receiving temporary or permanent relocation options within the PHA system, alongside a guaranteed option to return once the new units are completed.