Parkside Neighborhood Preservation, an affordable housing property, has reopened in Fairmount Park near 42nd and Parkside after renovation. Mission First Housing Group, which develops and manages affordable and sustainable homes for low-income Philadelphians, completed the historic preservation of 82 affordable housing units in 16 buildings along the 4100 and 4200 blocks of Parkside Avenue and at 4201 Girard Avenue and 1237-1241 Belmont Avenue.

The buildings, which date back to 1895, were last renovated in 2001-2003 and the property was at risk due to its declining physical condition. The buildings needed updates such as windows repair/replacement, HVAC upgrades, exterior repairs, including porch and masonry work, flooring throughout the buildings, new appliances, and some bathroom and kitchen upgrades. Painting was completed in the units and common areas as well.

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HopePHL, the local non-profit that provides social services, housing and community development, was recently awarded a $250,000 Housing for Everyone grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank.

HopePHL is one of 37 non-profit organizations selected from more than 450 applicants across several states to receive a Housing for Everyone grant as part of the initiative that has helped support organizations that are focused on providing affordable housing and affordable housing services since 2005.

The grant will support HopePHL’s homelessness prevention work, which assists people at risk of homelessness in Philadelphia to remain in their homes and avoid emergency shelter. Through case management and direct financial assistance grants, the agency’s program provides West Philadelphia families with support to overcome a housing crisis. Since its launch in July 2020, this program has successfully delivered these services to 355 families and has provided over $880,000 in emergency rental assistance grants.

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An artist’s rendering of the planned residential housing on the 4601 Market Street site. Looking east from 48th and Market.

The developers of 4601 Market St. have postponed their community meeting scheduled for today to reportedly discuss adding “deeply affordable” units to what will be one of the largest apartment building project in recent West Philly history.

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier last week called on Iron Stone Real Estate Partners to make 20 percent of the planned 1,240 units available to low income renters. Iron Stone included no provisions for affordable units in a proposal submitted to the city ahead of its scheduled March 7 Civic Design Review hearing, which has also been postponed.

“Iron Stone agreed to postpone their community meeting to discuss affordability with the community and the City!,” Gauthier tweeted on Tuesday. “I look forward to working with Iron Stone to keep 20%+ of the homes at 4601 Market deeply affordable.” Continue Reading

An artist’s rendering of the planned apartment complex. This view is east from 48th street. The Provident building is in the background.

UPDATE: The community meeting has been postponed. See the story here.

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier has issued a last-minute call for developers of the massive property at 46th and Market Streets to rethink their plans to build 1,240 apartments to include a “substantial” number of affordable units.

A community meeting with developers, Iron Stone Real Estate Partners, is planned for March 1 at 6 p.m. at the Alain Locke School (4550 Haverford Ave). The meeting is scheduled less than a week before the city’s Civic Design Review hearing on the plan scheduled for March 7, essentially the last chance for the public to weigh in on the proposal.

Iron Stone revealed plans over the summer to build six apartment buildings, including a 19-story tower on the site, which includes the gold-cupolaed Provident building and is adjacent to the 46th Street El stop. The Provident building now houses the Public Health Management Corporation, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offices, and a charter school. The rest of the site, some 13 acres, is mostly open space. Continue Reading

Philadelphia City Council passed new legislation today that aims to create more affordable housing in parts of the city, including West Philadelphia, which are seeing rapid housing development.

The new Mixed Income Neighborhoods Overlay Bill, proposed by Councilmembers Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) and María Quiñones Sánchez (7th District), is the first-ever mandatory inclusionary zoning legislation that requires affordable housing be part of new large development projects in select tracts of the 3rd and 7th Districts.

The 3rd District includes West Philadelphia and Southwest Philadelphia neighborhoods, which have seen rapid growth of housing development in the past couple of decades and displacement of many lower income residents. Continue Reading

60th and Chancellor Streets redevelopment project rendering (courtesy of WPRE)

A large-scale redevelopment project has been proposed for the site of the former Imperial Ballroom building at 215-19 S. 60th Street and other nearby properties that will include construction of affordable housing, new community and event spaces, and a new public park or parking lot.

The basic project description so far is as follows, according to the developer, West Philadelphia Real Estate (WPRE):

• New construction of 30 affordable housing units along S. 60th Street and the 5900 block of Chancellor Street.
• New construction of three ground floor community spaces at 221, 225 and 227 S. 60th St. These spaces will be rented for nominal consideration ($1) to non-profit community groups who provide services to benefit the 60th Street Corridor / Cobbs Creek neighborhood. Continue Reading