Overview
On April 10, 2012, the City of Philadelphia applied to the United States Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for a 2012 Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Implementation Grant in the amount of $30 million for the North Central Philadelphia Transformation Area.  The Transformation Area is bounded by Lehigh Avenue on the north, North 3rd Street on the east, Cecil B. Moore Avenue on the south and North Carlisle Street on the west. (See maps at right and in documents below right)

From an initial pool of 43 applicants, the City is one of the nine finalists.

The Transformation Plan presents a balanced approach to neighborhood revitalization by building on and leveraging significant public and private investment occurring within and adjacent to the transformation area, while preserving and expanding the inventory of affordable housing, as well as the provision of services and strategies to increase the overall quality of life of the neighborhood.  For the first time in 60 years, the 2010 Census showed an increase in the population of the City of Philadelphia.  The dramatic expansion of Center City Philadelphia, the Avenue of the Arts North cultural corridor, Temple University, as well as increasingly effective community-based investment in housing and services, have all renewed the promise of the North Central Philadelphia area.  However, tremendous challenges remain, including long-term vacancy created through 60 years of depopulation and disinvestment, public safety issues, low performing schools, lack of jobs and services, and an overall perception that the North Central Philadelphia area is in a state of perpetual decline. 

The Choice Neighborhoods application will address these core problems and perceptions by focusing on the three core goals of the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative: Housing, People and Neighborhood.  This transformation will be achieved through a partnership between multiple governmental, private, community-based and other organizations, including: Asociación Puertorriqueños

• City of Philadelphia, through the Office of Housing & Community Development (OHCD), as the Lead Applicant, will be responsible for implementing the activities identified in the Transformation Plan, and will coordinate the activities of all other partners included in the plan.  In addition, as the Neighborhood Implementation Entity, OHCD will achieve the Neighborhood objectives of improved housing, access to services and public assets, creation of effective transportation alternatives, and increased access to employment within the City and region.
• Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA), as the Housing Implementation Entity, will be responsible for the creation of energy efficient, sustainable, durable, accessible housing that provides housing opportunities to households of mixed incomes that is financially viable over the long-term.
• Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM), will be the Lead People Entity, who, in coordination with the Ramsey Educational Development Institute, Inc. (REDI) will be responsible for improving the quality of life for existing residents, as well as new residents through the coordination and provision of programs and services to promote resident health, safety, employment and education.  In addition, APM is continuing its long term physical development strategy in the neighborhood by completing a mixed-use and mixed-income transit-oriented development as part of the Transformation Plan.

Specifically, the Transformation Plan includes a total of 553 new units of Housing in the Transformation Area, including rental and homeownership opportunities, one-for-one public housing replacement units, low- to moderate-income tax credit units, and market rate units.  The majority of these units are located in the Transit Village adjacent to the Temple University Regional Rail Station, which is the fourth busiest station in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) regional rail system, offering access to opportunities throughout the entire Philadelphia region.

The Transformation Plan builds on existing Neighborhood planning and investment, as well as new programs including vacant land management, improvements to recreation and cultural facilities, crime prevention measures, business environment assessment and retention/attraction, all focused on improving the built environment and its impact on health, safety and education. 

Finally, the People objectives will be achieved through coordinated, evidenced-based approaches to services developed in response to needs assessments completed by residents of the targeted public housing site, as well as neighborhood residents. Clear metrics have been established to ensure the desired outcomes are achieved. The cornerstone of the People strategy is the new construction of a 10,000 square foot workforce development center to be developed by PHA, to provide residents and community members with training to prepare them for medical-type careers. This center will be modeled after PHA's existing successful construction trades training center in South Philadelphia.

Budget

Other Key Partners

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
• Village of Arts & Humanities
• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
• Philadelphia Department of Parks & Recreation
• Mosaic Development Partners
• Temple University
• EducationWorks, Inc.
• Ramsey Educational Development Institute, Inc. (REDI)
• Econsult Corporation

Documents

• City and Neighborhood Maps
• Conceptual Site Plan Design

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