Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has declared a public safety emergency at the vacant Bartram Village site in Southwest Philadelphia, allowing the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) to immediately demolish 45 vacant apartment buildings and move forward with a $425 million redevelopment project that will create 688 mixed-income housing units. Supported by a $50 million federal Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant, the project will replace 500 former public housing units while adding new rental housing and affordable homeownership opportunities. PHA said the first phase, consisting of 64 units at a nearby site, is already under construction, with additional phases scheduled to begin in 2027. The redevelopment aligns with Parker’s goal of building or preserving 30,000 housing units citywide and PHA’s commitment to create and preserve 20,000 affordable units.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 6/18/2026