2 minute read
Executive summary
from Blossom at Bartram!
by wrtdesign
There couldn’t be a more important time to plan for the redevelopment of Bartram Village and revitalization of the Kingsessing neighborhood and Southwest Philadelphia.
Explosive growth and redevelopment is visible nearby in Center City and University City, as well as Northern Liberties, Kensington, and North Philadelphia, as people of all ages from Millennials to empty nesters are choosing to live in the City. And now interest is beginning to shift to Southwest Philadelphia.
For decades, working class families have called Southwest Philadelphia home as they fueled the factories nearby. The Kingsessing neighborhood has also served as point of entry for immigrants arriving in the city, finding a welcoming community with a wide range of housing, services, and amenities. These patterns continue today although the quality of life has diminished as the shape of industry has changed, incomes have decreased, and educational attainment has fallen. This has coincided with divestment in the area, aging housing, and an increase in crime.
At a time when many Philadelphians are struggling to pay for housing, particularly the city’s lowest-income households, areas experiencing conditions such as Southwest Philadelpia are particularly vulnerable.
Bartram Village
Bartram Village forms a green oasis with Bartram’s Garden next door and is nestled within the industrial corridor in Southwest Philadelphia. Built in 1942 as defense worker housing, the site was converted into 500 units of public housing and today is home to approximately 1,050 residents. It provides much needed affordable housing in the city but at over 80 years old, it requires significant repairs. Reimagining the site presents a tremendous opportunity to create a vibrant, self-sufficient community that enhances the quality of life for residents of Bartram Village as well as the surrounding neighborhood.
Connecting the dots
The building blocks that once gave rise to a vibrant streetcar suburb in Southwest Philadelphia remain. Lively corridors, an extensive transit system, great walkability, a waterfront bike trail, employment centers nearby, a rich history and diverse culture—all can be found in the Bartram Choice neighborhood and form the foundation that the plan builds upon.
Several recent plans and studies of areas in and around the Bartram Choice neighborhood have paved the way for major investments in the coming years. Perhaps the most significant is the Lower Schuylkill Master Plan, which envisions a new Innovation and Logistics Hub on the Schuylkill Riverfront, bringing with it approximately 3,000 new jobs when fully realized.
HUD Choice Neighborhoods Initiative
In February 2018, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) generously awarded the Philadelphia Housing Authority a 1.3 million dollar Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Planning and Action Activity grant to develop a transformational neighborhood plan. The plan is centered around the redevelopment of Bartram Village and focuses on three core goals:
▶ Housing: Replacing distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing.
▶ People: Improving outcomes for residents living in the Bartram Village with regard to employment and income, health, and children’s education.
▶ Neighborhood: Attracting public and private reinvestment in the community neighborhoods to offer amenities and assets that are important to people such safety, connectivity, and economic development.
The two-year planning process brought together residents, neighborhood partners, and local institutions to share ideas and information, and develop an aspirational community-driven vision—Blossom at
Bartram.
Blossom at Bartram is a comprehensive neighborhood plan that outlines clear goals and provides a road map of strategies and metrics to achieve this vision.
