Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia breaks ground on four new homes in West Philadelphia. From left: Miss Bernice, West Philadelphia resident; Kim Mathis, Habitat homeowner and former Board member; Jamie Gauthier, City Councilmember, 3rd District; Corinne O’Connell, Habitat Philadelphia CEO; Floyd Lebron, Habitat Philadelphia Board Chair; Daryn Edwards, Principal, CICADA Architecture; Carlo Arjona, Senior Project Manager. (Photo by Cary Porter)

Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia held a public groundbreaking ceremony on June 5 for a 40th Street Rowhomes project in the Mantua neighborhood.

A crowd of about 50 residents, supporters and staff cheered as the first shovels dug into the site at 40th and Reno Streets that will see four affordable homes built and sold to first-time homebuyers. Habitat Philadelphia Board Chair, Floyd Lebron, CEO Corinne O’Connell, and City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier provided remarks.

Habitat Philadelphia sells new homes with zero-interest mortgages to buyers making between 30-80 percent of the Area Median Income, creating equity and a foundation for families to thrive.

“When I meet families in our homeownership program, they inevitably say, ‘This is the first time I’ve heard yes,’ said Corinne O’Connell, CEO. “‘This is the first time I’m going to be able to catch my breath.’ That is what gives us the urgency to build more and do more.”

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View from Ludlow Street (rendering image). Credit: KCA Design Associates

A new residential complex that includes two six-story buildings has been proposed for a parking lot at 5235 Chestnut Street. The buildings would include 204 units, 41 of which are designated as affordable housing, with rental prices starting at $700 per unit. Both buildings would also include some commercial spaces on the ground floor.

One, smaller building, will include 33 residential units and will be on Chestnut Street, and the other –  with 131 units – will be located along Ludlow Street, according to the proposal (see rendering below). The complex will also include bike parking spaces and various amenities, including a gym.

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The University City District (UCD) has released its annual State of University City report, which highlights different areas of development in the area in the past year, including real estate, employment, demographics, education, healthcare, transportation and more. During the presentation of the report on Thursday, UCD shared the stories of three innovative neighborhood businesses: Renata’s Kitchen, Two Locals Brewing, and Grant BLVD (check out this video).

Here are some most interesting stats from the 2024 State of University City report:

• University City has 55,953 residents, whose median age is 27.6;

• 84 percent of neighborhood residents work in University City, and 72 percent of jobs pay over $40,000 per year;

• 63 percent of residents ages 25+ have a bachelor’s degree or higher;

• The median single family home sale price is $537,000;

• 4,210 units of multi-family housing (apartments) are expected to be developed in the next three years;

• 929 new units of multi-family housing were developed in the past year;

• The number of new construction permits has decreased from 50 to a little over 10 since 2018.

• 57 percent of neighborhood residents do not use cars to commute;

• 24 percent of households’ primary language is not English.

To download the new report, click here. Read about some previous reports in our archives here.

Here’s an update on the proposed redesign of 47th and 48th streets south of Market that was presented in the past six months at a series of community meetings attended by hundreds of neighbors. The City is moving on with the 48th Street repaving project and has put the 47th Street layout redesign and repaving on hold, according to the Garden Court Community Association newsletter.

The 48th Street redesign will run from Kingsessing Avenue to Market Street. The plan incorporates traffic calming measures and greener travel options, proposed by the City and supported by neighborhood residents and neighborhood community groups.

“Under this design, 48th Street would remain a two-way street with parking on both sides, but its excess width would be re-organized to create substantially shorter crosswalks and a northbound bicycle lane fully separated from vehicular traffic,” according to the newsletter.

Repaving of 48th Street is expected to take place this spring.

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The University of Pennsylvania has cleared the way to build a brand new performing arts center near 33rd and Chestnut, according to reports. Zoning permits were recently issued for construction of the six-story building, which will include a 300-seat theater, rehearsal space and other facilities.

The new modern performance center will be built on the green space at the intersection of 33rd St. and Woodlands Walk. Construction is expected to be completed in 2027. More details and rendering images are available on the Naked Philly website.

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A community-based committee tasked with brainstorming ideas for the Saint Joseph’s University (formerly USciences) campus near the south end of Clark Park and other buildings scattered nearby presented initial ideas to the Spruce Hill Community Association last night.

St. Joe’s hopes to sell the entire campus, including stand-alone residential buildings dotting the nearby neighborhood, to a single developer in a process that will likely take years to complete. For nearby residents, that process began last fall, when the university agreed to fund a “community advisory committee” made up of representatives of local community groups – including Friends of Clark Park, neighborhood associations and residents from the West Shore neighborhood.

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