West Philadelphia’s Haverford Square Properties is expanding to a new part of the city, with a proposal for 160 units in three buildings along Chester Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia. The bulk of the units would be in two new apartment buildings, but the stately stone building that once housed the St. Divine Mercy School will be put to new use as well and will host 35 units. No parking will be provided. “There haven’t been any new apartment buildings in this area in a very long time,” said German Yakubov, Haverford Square’s president. “It is a lot of homeowners, so there is not a lot of opportunity for apartment living, and we felt there is a market for that.” Located at 6635-6639 Chester Ave., to the south of Mount Moriah Cemetery, the property once belonged to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Haverford Square will use zoning bonuses that allow the developer to build beyond what the underlying land-use regulations would otherwise allow. In exchange, the company will provide 16 apartments on site that rent for 50% of area median income, making them roughly accessible to those making $38,000 a year.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 2/18/2025