PHA Unveils Phase 1 of Bartram Village Redevelopment

The Philadelphia Housing Authority is taking the first concrete steps towards revamping the beleaguered Bartram Village public housing site.

PHA revealed the first phase of the Southwest Philadelphia site’s redevelopment on Tuesday, the Inquirer reported. The initial phase will actually unfold slightly south of Bartram Village at 2639 South 58th Street.

At the vacant site, the housing authority is partnering with low-income housing developer Pennrose on a 64-unit project that will include townhomes and apartments. A community room, playground and other amenities are also planned.

All but a dozen of the units will be income-restricted. One-bedroom units will rent for anywhere from $395 to $1,186 at the start.

The Civic Design Review is expected to take up the project in two weeks. The housing authority and Pennrose plan to break ground on the first phase by year’s end.

One reason the first phase is outside of the existing public housing site is so the PHA can continue working to relocate residents still living at Bartram Village. For large projects, the agency tries to guarantee relocated residents the right to return.

The redevelopment of Bartram Village has been on the authority’s radar for six years. The nation’s fourth-largest provider of public housing is seeking to refurbish a site where a massive drug raid was once carried out. Last year, the authority landed a $50 million Choice Neighborhood Initiative implementation grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Once the redevelopment is complete, the 600 housing units will represent an addition of roughly 100 units from today’s configuration, and some will be available for ownership. There may also be commercial space for stores and restaurants.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority is the largest landlord in Pennsylvania, housing more than 76,000 people across the city.

— Holden Walter-Warner