Philadelphia - Another
Philadelphia Housing Authority high-rise apartment building is
tumbling down.
PHA Executive Director Carl Greene has
announced that the one of the tallest buildings in the PHA
inventory, Mantua Hall in West Philadelphia, will be imploded in
early 2008.
"Over the past decade, we have been
replacing this style of vertical public housing with modern, safe,
attractive low-rise communities," said Greene. "Once again, we are
preparing to undo a mistake of the past and build housing that will
lift families into the future."
Mantua Hall, standing 18 stories, was
completed in 1960, an era when concentrating a high number of very
poor families into a high-rise building was the model for public
housing. The size and design of the apartments do not meet modern
standards, with very small bedrooms and inadequate room for
furnishings. The electrical, heating, and plumbing systems are
antiquated. PHA estimates the cost of upgrading these systems and
renovating these apartments would be prohibitively
expensive.
In addition, PHA's experience has shown
that this model of low-income housing produced negative results,
both on the families who lived there and on the near-by
community.
By contrast, at each site that PHA has
rebuilt, crime and other anti-social behavior have plummeted, and
homeowners in the surrounding neighborhood have benefited by seeing
the value of their homes increase much faster than the citywide
pace.
PHA will move residents of Mantua Hall to
alternative public housing locations, with all residents moving out
by the end of November.
"PHA has moved thousands of residents in
preparation for similar demolitions over the past ten years. We pay
for the move, we offer residents a selection of other PHA housing,
and we make sure that the transition to the new location is
smooth," Greene said.
PHA plans to build approximately 100
low-rise walk-up style apartments on the site, with construction
beginning in the end of 2008. Final designs are still being
completed, but most of the townhouse structures will be three
stories, with the units built around a secure central parking lot.
All homes will have clear views of the parking area and open green
space.
|
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| Mantua Hall in West Philadelphia will be imploded in early
2008. |
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| Mantua Hall was completed in 1960, an era when concentrating a
high number of very poor families into a high-rise building was the
model for public housing. |
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| A current view of the same living room area shown in the
previous photo. |
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| Mantua Hall from the 18th floor in 1960, when it was
built. |
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