Building New Look Brochure.pdf · 2011-04-03 · Building Beyond If a picture is worth a thousand words, you may lose count reading this brochure. As you leaf through the pages, you

1

Message from the Executive Director 2

PHA New Look Sites Map 3

8 Diamonds Townhouse Apartments 4

Raymond Rosen Manor 5

Richard Allen Homes 6

Whitehall Apartments 8

Suffolk Manor Apartments 9

Cambridge Plaza 10

Mount Olivet Village 12

Norman Blumberg Apartments 13

Greater Grays Ferry Estates 14

Wilson Park 16

Abbottsford Homes 17

Falls Ridge 18

PHA — Giant Steps 20

Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza 22

Courtyard Apartments at Riverview 24

Fairhill 25

Lucien E. Blackwell Homes 26

117 New Homes 28

Table of Contents


BuildingBeyond

If a picture is worth a thousand words, you may lose countreading this brochure. As you leaf through the pages, you willsee amazing illustrations of recent changes in public housingin Philadelphia. We have compared the archaic concepts ofpublic housing of yesterday, to the quality low-density developments PHA builds and manages today. These arecommunities people want to live in. They are environmentsthat build a sense of pride for residents who are compelledto maintain their surroundings.

What you see in this book is a result of the planning andimplementation of a multi-year, billion-dollar construction

program. PHA is systematically resurrecting what werePhiladelphia’s most blighted neighborhoods. We have madeefficient use of our federal funding, which we have leveraged

with significant private investments. PHA is working at an unprecedented pace,developing major projects in several communities simultaneously.

The design of our new housing is tailored to each neighborhood. At the MartinLuther King development, PHA is building Victorian style housing to blend in withthe historic architecture of South Philadelphia. At Richard Allen Homes we havebuilt modern suburban style housing to reflect the rebirth of North Philadelphia.PHA properties are developed with strict guidelines and are built within budget,completed on or before schedule.

PHA’s 2000 employees have one overriding goal — to raise the quality of life forour customers and the citizens in the surrounding communities. Building, modernizing and managing affordable housing at the highest possible standard isthe only outcome we will accept.

We are building 6,000 homes — 3,000 are brand new and 3,000 totally renovated.The incredible change is captured in this brochure. Each page reflects our view ofhow affordable housing can and should look, as PHA continues living up to ourmotto — Building Beyond Expectations.

Carl R. Greene,Executive Director

Expectations

Richard Allen Homes 6Cambridge Plaza 10

We know that the developments thatwe own, build and manage have animmediate and powerful impact onthe quality of life in the city.

“”

Courtyard Apartments at Riverview 24

Suffolk Manor Apartments 9

Falls Ridge 18

32

Wilson Park 16


Raymond Rosen Manor 5

Conventional Sites

Scattered Sites (117 New Homes 28)

Whitehall Apartments 8

8 Diamonds Townhouse Apartments 4

Norman Blumberg Apartments 13


Abbottsford Homes 17

Fairhill 25


Mount Olivet Village 12

Richard Allen Homes 6Cambridge Plaza 10

PHA New Look Sites

54

8 Diamonds Townhouse Apartments is thename of a sparkling, new developmentcovering eight city blocks in NorthPhiladelphia. The area stretches between20th and Van Pelt Streets and Cecil B.Moore Avenue and Diamond Street.

The construction of “8 Diamonds”marked the first time that PHA built homesoutside one of its own developments. PHAhas invested $27 million building 152modern, attractive townhouses that havethree, four and five bedrooms. The town-house homes are beautiful and offer lots ofspace for families with easy access topublic transportation, Temple University andCenter City. The new homes feature cen-tral air conditioning, off-street parking andgreen space, a dramatic change from

what was once a drab, cramped neighbor-hood. Interstate Realty Management, aprivate firm, manages this development.

“8 Diamonds” is the third and finalphase of a plan that transformed the oldRaymond Rosen property and the areanear it. A neighborhood that was once aboarded up slum has become an attrac-tive, desirable area.

North Philadelphia152 units

8Diamonds

PHA has invested $76 million in theredevelopment of the site now known asRaymond Rosen Manor. It is one of thelargest and oldest developments ownedby PHA and the site of one of the mostextensive public housing renovations inthe United States.

The new development replaced theold Raymond Rosen Apartments thatcomprised over 1100 apartments in

eight high-rise buildings and another 58in low-rise buildings. PHA imploded thehigh-rises in 1995.

The first phase of renovation involvedthe exterior of 308 apartments. Theyreceived new roofs, gutters, windows,siding and electrical upgrades. The out-side lighting was improved for bettersecurity. During the second phase, newkitchen and bathroom appliances,washer/dryer connections, new heatingsystems, and new interior and exteriordoors were installed.

In addition, 47 new housing unitswere built on the site.

The redevelopment of RaymondRosen is a shining example of how PHAhas reclaimed a neighborhood andturned it into a vibrant, livable and safecommunity.


RaymondRosen

The final phase of the beautiful new RichardAllen Homes opened in March 2003.

The opening of this phase of the devel-opment was also a homecoming for threeprominent Philadelphians who grew up in the original development: comedian Bill Cosby, City Councilwoman JannieBlackwell, and public relations executiveBruce Crawley.

People living at the new Richard Allenhave much more living space. PHAreplaced multi-family buildings with multi-bedroom townhouses spread over a larger area. Each set of townhouses hasprivate yards, additional open green spaceand off-street parking.

The redevelopment of Richard Allenincludes a new five-story, 80-unit complex

for seniors. Residents also benefit from anew healthcare clinic and 16,000 squarefoot community center that serve not onlyRichard Allen, but the entire neighborhood.

The Community Center, named forMayor John F. Street, sits in the center of abeautiful town square.

6

Back in the 1990’s we determinedthat traditional public housingwasn’t working, so we changedour approach. Richard Allen isevidence of that change.

North Philadelphia408 units16,000 square footcommunity center

“

”

RichardAllen

8

The modernization of Whitehall Apartmentsin Northeast Philadelphia will make the complex sparkle and improve the neighbor-hood. The senior citizens who reside therewill enjoy the amenities and have more living space.

There are three phases for this project. Inthe first phase, 131 townhouse units receivednew kitchens, baths, piping and drain lines,heating and cooling systems, and new electric panels and wiring. Crews removedlead-based paint and asbestos. They put anew drywall finish on the walls and ceilings,laid new floor tile, and replaced all doors inthe complex.

Fourteen efficiency units were convertedinto seven two-bedroom units. One of the

townhouse units was converted into a com-puter lab, allowing seniors to stay in touchmore easily with their family and friends. Andthere’s a lot more to come in the next twophases of modernization, covering 127 units.

Whitehall Apartments will become theenvy of other retirement communities.

Northeast Philadelphia258 units

Whitehall

9

Suffolk Manor Apartments are an awardwinning historic property located in theOlney section of Philadelphia. The complexcontains five six-story buildings whichhouse both seniors and families.

PHA acquired Suffolk Manor from an affiliate of the Philadelphia RedevelopmentAuthority, then obtained historic designation

for the development from the Common-wealth of Pennsylvania and the NationalPark Service. In turn, PHA was able toobtain historic tax credits that contributedto the funding used to rehabilitate andremodel the site.

Suffolk Manor’s redevelopment includes:new plumbing and electrical systems; newheating and cooling systems; new kitchens;new enlarged automatic elevators; cable TVhookups; security monitoring and entrancesystems. We installed new plumbing fixturestoo, but some old fixtures remained due totheir historic value.

Suffolk Manor is convenient for residentsto catch a ride on the regional rail, the BroadStreet subway or the bus. Stores and otherservices are within walking distance.

North Philadelphia(Olney section) 137 units

SuffolkManor

CambridgePlaza

The new homes at CambridgePlaza demonstrate that the

words gorgeous and affordablehousing can be used in the

same sentence.

North Philadelphia124 units “

”

For years, residents of Cambridge Plazawere cut off from the rest of Philadelphia,and from the services and infrastructureprovided to other city dwellers. Their neigh-borhood, filled with empty, distressed build-ings, was anything but safe and comfortable.

The site between 10th and 12th Streets,Girard Avenue and Poplar Street wascrowded and contained 372 apartments,largely concentrated in two antiquated high-rise buildings.

The new Cambridge Plaza relievescrowding and brightens the neighborhood.It features just 124 homes, a reduction oftwo-thirds from the original site that wasdeveloped in 1957. A family-friendly atmosphere has been created becauseCambridge Plaza has 3, 4 and 5 bedroomhomes to accommodate larger families.Several homes are designed for people withmobility, hearing and visual impairments.

A new tennis facility has opened nearbyon Girard Avenue, making the developmenteven more appealing,

Cambridge Plaza is safer, too, with newlighting, streets and sidewalks. Residentsalso benefit from the installation of newwater, sewer, electrical, and other utility lines.

PHA will have invested about $34 millionwhen redevelopment is complete. Thebreathtaking design of these homes makesthis a community people are proud to live in.

10

12 13

PHA still has some attractive high-rise complexes in its portfolio, and one of themis the Norman Blumberg Apartments inNorth Philadelphia. This site, which includes15 low-rise buildings, has gone throughthree phases of modernization.

PHA has invested over $60 million dollarsto give residents a more pleasant place to

live. The kitchens, bathrooms, floors, wallsand ceilings, and the common areas allunderwent complete renovation. A newlaundromat was built. Forty-six efficiencyunits in one of the towers occupied byseniors were converted to one-bedroom units.

Security at the Blumberg Apartmentsimproved with construction of a new,secured entrance, and installation of a magnetic card system. Also, residents nowcontrol who enters their buildings by use ofa paging system from the guardhouse. Thenew security measures have lowered crimeat this site.

PHA’s modernization of the complex ispart of a larger plan to reverse the decline ofneighborhoods in North Philadelphia.


NormanBlumberg

Sometimes less is more. And that’s thecase with Mount Olivet Village in WestPhiladelphia, where there will soon be fewerbut more spacious apartments.

Mount Olivet Village was built in 1967from collections at the neighboring MountOlivet Tabernacle Baptist Church. Most ofthe apartments were efficiencies andbecame obsolete over the years.

PHA obtained the property from U.S.Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD) in September 2002. Amulti-million dollar renovation of MountOlivet began in June 2003.

PHA has reduced the available number ofapartments to offer seniors more spacewhere they live. One hundred twenty-twostudio apartments have been convertedinto 61 one-bedroom units. Other apart-ments have been created or enlarged by

taking advantage of unused storage space.The change increases the number of one-bedroom apartments to 151 to go alongwith 10 two-bedroom units.

Mount Olivet will also receive new hotwater heaters and new roofs. The develop-ment already features a day care facility, acommunity center, a senior center, andoffice management space.

West Philadelphia161 units

Mt.Olivet

14

Greater Grays Ferry Estates, located justoff the Schuylkill Expressway in SouthPhiladelphia, will be completely rebuilt by2006. It is PHA’s most ambitious develop-ment, setting the standard for innovative,mixed financing.

The development dates back to 1940,making it one of the oldest PHA properties.The 40 acre site at 30th and Tasker Streetsin the city’s Grays Ferry neighborhood wasin very poor condition. It just made senseto knock it down and build anew.

The new development will provide residents with a much better quality of life.It features a 13,500 square foot workforcedevelopment center, a senior center, and amix of rental and homeownership units.

We’re rebuilding the neighborhood, too,fixing environmental, utility, and drainageproblems, and reconnecting the develop-ment’s streets to the surrounding neighbor-hood. Greater Grays Ferry Estates will beone of the shining stars of the PHA portfolio, comprising 554 homes.

This development is notsome isolated island… Thehouses blend in with and liftup the entire community.

South Philadelphia554 unitsHandicap accessible units13,500 sq. foot workforcedevelopment center

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Grays Ferry

1716

Crime at Wilson Park dropped dramaticallyafter the first two phases of major renova-tions took place. Wilson Park proves thatwhen families have pride in their homes,neighborhoods become safer.

New bathrooms and kitchens wereinstalled in 295 family low-rise units at thesite during Phase II. Asbestos and leadpaint were removed. New plumbing, electri-cal, and heating systems were installedalong with new roofing.

The remaining 153-townhouses at thesite were renovated during the third phaseof modernization. Renovations includednew kitchens and baths, central air condi-tioning and heating, more off-street parking,decorative security lighting, landscapingimprovements and ornamental site fencing.

The money for this latest phase of redevelopment was part of a large, innovative financial package, linked to therebuilding of Greater Grays Ferry Estates.

Wilson Park also offers its residents aconvenient location near jobs in Center Cityand at the new stadium complex in SouthPhiladelphia.

South Philadelphia746 units

WilsonPark

The Abbottsford Homes are locatedwithin walking distance of theWissahickon and East Falls section ofPhiladelphia. The site has some dra-matic views of the surrounding

streetscapes. This historic location (theformer site of the Dobson Mansion)features easy access to mass transit toboth Center City and the suburbs.

Abbottsford had a new look and feelwhen residents started returning totheir homes late in 2000. PHA hadexpanded 136 units into three bed-room homes. The facades of many ofthe homes received a facelift and thelandscaping was improved.

Abbottsford also features a spaciouscommunity center, and a health center.

North Philadelphia(East Falls section)332 units

Abbottsford

FallsRidge

18

Falls Ridge brings anew vibrancy to the

Ridge Avenue corridorand the entire East

Falls community.

North Philadelphia(East Falls section)

285 units17,500 square feet of retail space

“

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Residents of East Falls have already benefited from the redevelopment ofPHA’s Falls Ridge development, formerlyknown as Schuylkill Falls. Property values in East Falls soared when the towers that once occupied the site came

down. The new homes will enhance theneighborhood further. They are going upon a hill overlooking Fairmount Park andthe Schuylkill River.

The development will serve a mixedincome community with nearly 285 unitscomprised of townhouses and apartmentbuildings. Each townhouse will have afront and rear yard and a porch. Some ofthe homes will be rentals. Others will beprivately owned, with many selling atmarket rates.

Falls Ridge will also feature over 17thousand square feet of new retail space,providing much needed services to theentire neighborhood.

To truly appreciate

PHA’s New Look, it

helps to review the old

look. Not very many

years ago, PHA

“projects” suffered from

cramped living space, high crime, low maintenance,

and worst of all, low expectations. As you can see,

PHA represented the housing of last resort.

Through a series of implosions, PHA took down the

worst buildings in its inventory. The agency built new

low-rise developments from the ground up. In other

locations, homes were completely renovated.

The era of the “projects” is long gone in Philadelphia.

Richard Allen Homes 6

Raymond Rosen Manor 5 Courtyard Apartments at Riverview 24

Giant Steps

Cambridge Plaza 10

20

Wilson Park 16 Greater Grays Ferry Estates 14



Falls Ridge 18

MLK

22

The new Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Plazawill have the most dramatic effect of anyPHA development because of its location.

MLK, built on the edge of Center City in1960, was symbolic of many public housing sites with four high-rise towers thatwarehoused residents. PHA imploded thesite in October 1999.

The new MLK, a $74 million investment,represents the future of public housing inAmerica. When completed, it will featuretwo and three-story townhouses, duplexes, and two small apartment buildings. MLK is privately managed andoffers both rentals and homeownershipoptions. In fact, almost half of the newhomes will be for sale. PHA is also buildingnew homes at scattered locations near thenew development to help revive neglectedblocks and give private companies anincentive to do the same.

With homes for sale and rent, MLK willhave residents of varying income levels,creating a diverse community.

MLK Plaza is close to the Avenue of theArts, major hotels, Center City jobs, andpublic transportation. This development, ina spectacular residential neighborhood fea-turing Victorian architecture, provides agreat connection between Center City andthe lively South Street area.

With the Avenue of the Arts tothe west and the South Streetarea not far to the east, webelieve the new MLK will helpcreate a spectacular residentialneighborhood in between.

Just south of Center City245 units“

”

Residents of Fairhill in NorthPhiladelphia are in an excellent loca-tion. They’re close to Temple Universityand Center City. Residents can easilytravel to suburban Philadelphia eitherby car or public transportation.

Fairhill,completed inJune of 2000,has 264 unitslocated in two 18-story towers andseven town-house build-ings. Part ofthe modern-

ization was the conversion of 30 unitsinto 3-bedroom apartments. Whenpotential residents inspect the site,they will find new balcony enclosures.Major exterior building renovations arecomplete. There are new windows,kitchens, bathrooms, and relatedupgrades. Each tower has six laundryrooms. The development’s securitysystem and lighting have been updated. For the kids, new playgroundequipment has been installed on therenovated landscape.

The modernization of The FairhillApartments symbolizes the resurgenceof North Philadelphia as a good placeto live, work and raise a family.


Fairhill

25

There is not one development thatcharacterizes the new wave of publichousing in Philadelphia better thanCourtyard Apartments at Riverview,the former Southwark Plaza. Whentwo of the Southwark Towers wereimploded in January of 2000, a newday arrived for PHA, so much so thatwe changed the site’s name.

Courtyard Apartments at Riverviewis home for 305 families who live innew townhouses, while the remaining165-unit tower was modernized forsenior citizens. Parents have accessto a day care center at the site as well.

The development is convenientlylocated south of Queen Village, andadjacent to the Italian Market area. It is

also within walking distance of Penn’sLanding and a short bus ride awayfrom Center City.

The Courtyard Apartments atRiverview are privately managed, andwith its financing, planning, and tenantmix has become a national template forpublic housing.

South Philadelphia470 units

Riverview

24

26

Lucien E. Blackwell Homes in WestPhiladelphia is a nationally known historicsite and one of the PHA’s largest proper-ties, covering 17 square blocks. Threehigh-rise towers that dominated the devel-opment came tumbling down during animplosion in November 2002. Other low-rise buildings adjacent to the towers werealso demolished to make way for a family-friendly neighborhood. Groundbreaking forthe new $127 million development tookplace in August 2003. The site, formerlycalled Mill Creek, was renamed Lucien E.Blackwell Homes in honor of the lateCongressman who represented the area.

The new development replaces a proj-ect that had problems dating back to itsconstruction in the 1950’s. The founda-tions of many of the buildings were built over an underground stream. Over time,many of the units were severely damaged.

Lucien E. Blackwell Homes will feature amix of row homes, twins, duplexes, multi-story homes with various floor plans andsizes. About 250 of the new homes will befor sale while over 370 homes will berentals, and all homes have all the amenities — from central air to fully-equipped kitchens.

The new development will have easyaccess to retailers, support services,employers, schools and churches. It willemphasize the area’s natural beauty withplenty of park space.

PHA expects to have all the new homesand facilities completed by December2006. Lucien E. Blackwell Homes will fit inwith other redevelopment efforts in adja-cent neighborhoods and encourage pri-vate developers to reinvest in WestPhiladelphia.

This development will spreadfar beyond the original MillCreek site. We’re building

houses on blocks in alldirections.

“

”

West Philadelphia627 units

To be completed byDecember 2006

Lucien E.Blackwell

28

PHA is making a huge investment in NorthPhiladelphia where some of the city’s oldest houses exist.

In some instances, those old homes fellto the wrecking ball, the victims of achanging economy, abandonment, neglectand vandalism. North Philadelphia was leftwith many empty lots available for redevelopment. PHA seized the opportunityas part of its effort to revitalize neighbor-hoods throughout the city.

We built townhouse and duplex units, filling in those empty lots, a total of 117 newhomes on seven different blocks in NorthPhiladelphia. Over half of those homes arefully handicap accessible units. The newhomes went up on Diamond Street, CollegeAvenue, Marshall Street, 6th Street and13th Street, and serve as a model for otherdevelopers.

These new homes are near Center City,services and mass transit. They feature offstreet parking, central heating and air conditioning, washer/dryer hookups, wallto wall carpeting, waste disposals and lotsof closet space.

North Philadelphia is coming back,slowly but surely, and PHA is a major player in that revival.


Handicap accessible

117New Homes

Carl R. Greene, Executive Director

Board of Commissioners

Mayor John F. Street, ChairCouncilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell

Debra L. BradyPatrick J. Eiding

Nellie W. Reynolds

Philadelphia Housing Authority12 South 23rd Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

p: 215.684.4000

www.pha.phila.gov

© 2004The Philadelphia Housing Authority.

All Rights Reserved.The Philadelphia Housing Authority logo and Building Beyond Expectations

are servicemarks of the Philadelphia Housing Authority.NL 11.04

www.pha.phila.gov

Documents

Building New Look Brochure.pdf · 2011-04-03 · Building Beyond If a picture is worth a thousand words, you may lose count reading this brochure. As you leaf through the pages, you