Artist renderings of the 4746-48 Spruce St. project.

Residents are invited to join the Garden Court Community Association (GCCA) this Wednesday (May 11) for a discussion on a 13-story apartment building planned for the 4700 block of Spruce St.

The meeting, organized by the GCCA Zoning and Development Committee, is an opportunity to provide feedback as part of the city’s Civic Design Review process, where developers take non-binding suggestions from community groups and residents about things like building materials, building height, parking and landscaping.

The current plan includes the following: a 13-story building (six stories on the east end) with commercial space on the first and second floors (proposed uses include restaurant and grocery store), 170 residential units, 28 vehicular parking spaces (accessed via Spruce Street), 76 bicycle parking spaces, and an off-street loading dock (accessed via 48th Street). Continue Reading

An artist’s rendering of the proposed 76-unit apartment building at 48th and Chester.

A proposal for a 76-unit apartment building at 48th and Chester will go back to the city zoning board following a court decision in favor of neighborhood groups who oppose the project.

Court of Common Pleas Judge Anne Marie B. Coyle ruled earlier this week that the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment “had failed to clearly identify any factual evidence” that not granting variances for the building would result in “unnecessary hardship” for the developer. The board can grant variances based on “unnecessary hardship” for a number of reasons, including financial viability.

The project is being proposed on the land owned by an adjacent nursing home – Renaissance Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. Renaissance owner Meir Gelley is seeking to combine several land parcels adjacent to the nursing home for the proposed development – 4701-15 Kingsessing Ave., 4720 Chester Ave., 4724 Chester Ave., 1115 S. 48th St., and 1119 S. 48th St. Continue Reading

The City’s down payment assistance program, Philly First Home, has reopened today, according to an announcement by the Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The program provides up to $10,000 (or 6 percent of the purchase price, whichever is less) in assistance to first-time homebuyers or those who have not owned a home for at least three years. The assistance recipient also must:

– Purchase a home in Philadelphia
– Have a household income at or below 100 percent Area Median Income (AMI)
– Complete housing counseling at a DHCD funded housing counseling agency. Continue Reading

Construction has begun on a new six-story residential building at the former West Catholic Preparatory High School parking lot located at 46th and Chestnut.

The proposal to change the zoning for this location from CMX-2 to CMX-3 was presented to the community by the Spruce Hill Community Association Zoning Committee and West Catholic in November 2019. The City Council approved the zoning change in December 2019 and the building permit was issued in December 2021.

The zoning had to be changed from CMX-2 to CMX-3 so that a potential developer could build a much bigger structure than was previously allowed. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is retaining ownership of the land and leasing it to the developer. West Catholic plans to use the money from the development to ensure the school’s sustainability and provide scholarships and renovations, as a group of alumni and volunteers from the school announced in 2019. Continue Reading

In an effort to assess fair housing options in Philadelphia neighborhoods, the City’s Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has released a housing and neighborhood survey – Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH).

The AFH survey, which is in partnership with the Urban Institute and Reinvestment Fund, will assess how Philadelphians feel about their current housing, community and housing options. The results of the survey will be used to help shape Philadelphia’s housing and neighborhood investment plans.

The results of the survey will be used to “create meaningful actions to address housing challenges and improve communities,” according to Mayor Jim Kenney. Continue Reading

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has announced new partners and the next step in their redevelopment plan for Westpark Apartments, the three public housing towers that sit just north of Market St. near the 46th St. El station.

Two New York-based firms, L+M Development Partners and MSquared, have been selected as partners in the 12-acre Westpark site modernization project after an extended local and national search, according to an announcement by PHA.

The next step in the Westpark site redevelopment project is negotiating an agreement with the new partners for a final overall plan. L+M Development Partners and MSquared had initially proposed building 650 rental units on the site – 327 low-income housing units to replace the existing number of apartments at Westpark, and an additional 323 affordable and market rate units along with commercial space. Continue Reading