Land assembly for reuse and redevelopment is critical to the stabilization and rebuilding of Philadelphia's neighborhoods. Although Philadelphia has nearly 60,000 vacant parcels, few are large enough to support significant commercial, industrial, or residential development.

In the past, the City assembled land for redevelopment in a reactive, developer-driven process that was marked by significant delays and resource constraints. The City is overhauling this land assembly system and implementing a new approach that is proactive and driven by neighborhood development considerations. The City has begun to acquire large quantities of vacant land. By holding title to this land, the City will be able to market land according to neighborhood plans and to dispose of the properties without the delays that characterize the current system.

Assembly for Specific Development Projects
Property Disposition Policy
Role of City Council
Community Outreach, Notification and Relocation Services

Assembly for Specific Development Projects
Requests for acquisition funds to support specific development projects will be evaluated. All requests are submitted to the District Councilperson and require his/her support. Proposals will be evaluated favorably if the development projects:

1. Conform with strategic neighborhood plans;

2.Facilitate economic growth by building on market strengths; and

3. Leverage City resources to the fullest extent possible by maximizing private investment and minimizing public subsidies and by making investments that are linked to other public and private investments in an area.

When evaluating requests for acquisition funds to support specific development projects, the Administration will consider criteria such as the developer capacity or track record; the project's feasibility, budget, and schedule; source and amount of public subsidy, if any; existing non-City funding commitments; likelihood the developer will secure the requisite funding for completing the project within a reasonable period of time; and neighborhood context (e.g., consistency with neighborhood plans, suitable strategic reuse of the site, likelihood of stimulating investment activities by others).

Relocation
The RDA is responsible for permanent relocations due to land acquisition and redevelopment activities. The RDA adheres to and abide by all federal and state relocation statutes, regulations and standards and offer residents all relocation benefits to which they are entitled. The RDA collaborates with OHCD, District Council staff, and others as needed, to enhance community outreach, notification, and relocation support. Recognizing the disruption of lives and the high costs associated with relocation, the City will make every effort to keep relocations to a minimum.

Property Disposition Policy
In general, properties are sold at appraised value - assessed by a certified appraiser at the time of disposition. Properties may be sold at less than fair market value in the following situations:

1. To support affordable housing developments - developments with at least 51% low-moderate income beneficiaries;

2. For approved commercial and economic development projects that create job opportunities for low and moderate-income individuals.

Role of City Council
The acquisition and disposition of vacant property will be carried out in accordance with applicable federal, state statues and local laws, including, but not limited to the following: Section 5-900 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter; Section 16-400 of the Philadelphia Code; the Urban Redevelopment Authority Law and Redevelopment Cooperation Law and the Uniform Relocation Act.

Because the highest concentration of vacant properties is located in certified urban renewal and redevelopment areas, the aggregation of land for redevelopment will be subject to City Council review. For example, in order for the RDA to exercise its powers of eminent domain, the Urban Redevelopment Law requires City Council approvals for the:

1. Creation or modification of Redevelopment Areas;

2. Redevelopment Proposal Plans to support condemnation of the property by the RDA, including the number of properties that will be condemned and the proposed reuse;

3. Selling, leasing or transferring of any real property in a Redevelopment Area to a developer, regardless of the means of acquisition by the RDA.

Community Outreach, Notification and Relocation Services
Since the spring of 2003, the RDA has worked constantly to improve its relocation services. Towards that end, the City has strengthened the review process for projects seeking condemnation assistance, revised letters from the RDA to potential relocatees, and changed outreach strategies to include personal visits to each residence at the beginning of the process. In addition to the public notification requirements mandated in the federal Uniform Relocation Act, the RDA is working closely with District Councilmembers to engage and alert residents far in advance of the City Council public hearings. This includes meetings with the directly affected residents, RDA staff and the District Council member to discuss the proposed project and the rights of the individual or household in the relocation process. The purpose of these meetings is to establish a working relationship between the City and neighborhood residents and to provide accurate information about the relocation process.

The City is making an effort to include all Philadelphians access to the public process. To reach the Latino community, the RDA has hired two bilingual relocation specialists and translated all its letters, brochures and print materials relating to relocation into Spanish. Until HUD recently provided its relocation materials in Spanish, RDA retained a translator to translate all HUD-originated relocation materials. In addition, RDA legal notices pertaining to acquisition and planning processes are published in a Spanish-language newspaper.

The following OHCD-funded translation services are also available when needed:

1. Translators are available to provide simultaneous verbal translation at community meetings.

2. Acquisition and relocation materials can be translated into Asian languages by Intercultural Family Services, Korean Community Development Services Center; into Eastern European languages by Polish American Social Services; and into Braille by the Radio Center for the Blind.

In every case the City works with community-based organizations to determine which of the above services are necessary in the community and RDA's relocation staff visits households to identify any communication barriers and then gather the appropriate resources.