A plan to rebuild Bartram Village, an 80-year-old public housing development in Southwest Philadelphia, is advancing, thanks to a $50 million federal grant.
The goal is to better connect residents to the greater Kingsessing neighborhood and preserve long-term affordability amid increased investment in nearby University City, according to a plan produced by Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration and the Philadelphia Housing Authority.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are visiting Bartram Village on Friday to announce the funding.
About 1,000 residents live in 41 rectangular buildings on the 22-acre site, which is along Lindbergh Boulevard near Bartram’s Garden. All of those current structures will be demolished, and Pennrose, a developer, plans to construct 644 new units in a series of phases.
In addition to 277 row house-style homes, crews intend to construct two apartment buildings for seniors; a multi-family apartment building; seven walk-up apartments; and 30 affordable houses designed to give Bartram Village residents an opportunity at home ownership, the proposal, published in 2020, says.
Also included in the plan, known as “Blossom at Bartram,” is 114 market-rate properties. All 500 affordable rental units at Bartram Village will be replaced, officials have said.
Construction will occur in phases, beginning at a vacant lot next to Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School that is not part of the current PHA development. Existing residents will have an opportunity to move into those new units while demolition of the Bartram Village is taking place, HUD said in a project summary.
Some will be offered temporary or permanent relocations to other PHA properties, with an option to return when the work is complete, according to Blossom at Bartram.
As part of the effort, the city will also help property owners near Bartram Village access home repair and storefront improvement programs.
Blossom at Bartram, which runs over 200 pages, was finalized following two years of community engagement and incorporates a wide variety of initiatives aimed at increasing health, safety and neighborhood pride.
Among the goals are improved sidewalks, more trees, small parks, a new community center, additional trash cans, improved lighting, more security cameras and the construction of a neighborhood gateway at 56th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard.
Bartram Village was initially built in 1942 to house defense workers, and rehabilitating the aging buildings would cost more than $112 million, according to Blossom at Bartram.
The $50 million from HUD was awarded through the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation program, which recently distributed $370 million to fund projects in eight cities.
Previous CNI grants have helped pay for the redevelopment of the authority’s Sharswood Blumberg and Norris Apartments properties in North Philadelphia.
