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.
PHA has also announced that it’s ready to begin the process of relocating Westpark residents now that the development partner selection process is complete. After moving to other locations during redevelopment, Westpark residents will have the first right to move back to the site upon construction completion, according to the PHA announcement.
The Westpark complex was built in 1964 and was part of the last wave of high-rise towers built by PHA when the “towers in a park” design was a model for urban public housing. Dramatically reduced federal funding made it difficult for PHA to maintain and update the site. The buildings would need over $50 million in capital improvements to the major systems and other infrastructure, not including any updates to the living spaces.
While the final redevelopment plan is still being negotiated, the PHA had initially announced plans to develop more modern townhouse style and low-rise family units on the Westpark site, in addition to renovating the towers. We’ll keep you updated on the finalized version of the site design.
January 25th, 2022 at 9:00 am
Only 650 units on a 12 acre site that is steps from an El station, what are we doing? We should be building 3,000 to 4,000 units, with at least 40% of these units being available to people on the PHA wait list. Then we could more than quadruple the affordable housing units at this site, while creating an economically diverse community with easy access to transit and other amenities.
January 25th, 2022 at 9:35 am
Whose city is it anyway? Who decides? How do they decide? Do we actually have a right to the City? Who does it “belong” to? Does expertise equal Authority? and/or do city planners serve the neighborhoods? Is there a way beyond top down decision making? The City of Philadelphia might say they already have it, that they take community input on most all of their plans- they do work with designated community leaders and try to get some sort of symbolic consent as well as input they can cherrypick from…
January 26th, 2022 at 9:20 pm
The city is bringing in TWO developers from New York. What do New Yorkers know about Philadelphia, about West Philadelphia and the absolute needs of low income workers, disabled and seniors on social security in desperate need of decent truly affordable housing? Not much, I’d bet. We don’t need people coming in and offering pathetic “workforce affordable housing” with income no less than $35,000/year gross for a tiny shoebox efficiency. Most don’t make near that and not for lack of trying. Average disabled and seniors on social security don’t see $20,000/year before Medicare.
So they sit on waitlists. For years. Then have to run the gauntlet of handing over their life story, which then happens every year for recertification. How many people not in this position would like to have to hand over 6 months of bank statements, every medical bill, all prescription bills, go through another criminal background check every single year to keep their housing. Which still isn’t secure.
Do the towers need to go? Yes, because they weren’t maintained. Do we need to rehab one tower to warehouse seniors? No. Why, with all that space, can there not be SOCIAL HOUSING that’s fair, equitable and humane? A nice senior section with one story 600 sq ft houses with a small garden or community garden. A section for disabled, same kind of setup. Then a section for working people, people with children with a playground. Safe, maintained, clean housing with dignity.
Just because someone is low income, say up to 200% of the pathetic Federal Poverty Guidelines – which a whole lot of people in the community are – does not mean they should live in substandard, unmaintained and at risk at any moment of being forced out so more “luxury” housing can be built. Philadelphia is a big city with pockets of wealth that skews median income. Philadelphia is also one of the, if not the, poorest cities. People have a right to decent housing. Long term decent housing. Period.
January 28th, 2022 at 6:27 am
The history of Westpark Apartments site is interesting…
Still standing at the foot of the towers is the Busti Mansion.
This red-brick country mansion was built ca. 1806 by the Italian-immigrant land broker Paul Busti. Busti’s 112-acre rural estate, formerly Mill Creek Farm, was known as “Blockley Retreat.” Busti’s mansion was one of many country homes that gave Philadelphia elites of the 18th and early 19th century a retreat from the congestion of the bustling city east of the Schuylkill River.
In the evolution of land use, I would hope to reuse the towers for a greater diversity of income levels.
April 16th, 2022 at 5:33 pm
3000, 4000 units of low income people living on top of each other, sounds like what’s there now (horrible idea) I’m all for diversity. People of all walks of life in a safe clean environment. Glad to see the projects go!