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What's the final touch after you've
completely rebuilt a neighborhood, going from blight to outta
sight? How about a fabulous new urban park in the center of it
all.
That's exactly what's going to happen
at the Philadelphia Housing Authority's Martin Luther King Plaza,
just south of Center City. The neighborhood used to be the site of
an old style public housing high-rise project, but now features a
combination of new public housing and high-end private market
homes.
PHA has agreed to turn over a
square block of its property at 12th and Catherine Streets to the
City of Philadelphia for development and maintenance of Hawthorne
Park.
"The park was to be a part
of this development in our initial design. However, with the
tremendous need for affordable housing we considered building more
homes on at least part of the property. When the City and Mayor
Nutter found the funding necessary to build and maintain the park,
we were convinced to move ahead with the plan. The park will be a
great benefit to PHA residents and the entire neighborhood, now
that we know it will be kept secure by the City" said PHA Executive
Director Carl Greene.
The park construction will cost
$2.15 million. The State of Pennsylvania is paying about $1.4
million, with the remaining $750,000 coming from the City of
Philadelphia, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the William Penn
Foundation.
Park construction will be complete in
2010, but it is not the final activity at the site.
PHA also plans to demolish the old
community center at 12th and Fitzwater Streets to make
room for 19 affordable homes for sale. These, too, will be ready in
2010. That will bring the total number of homes built by PHA at the
site to 245, almost evenly divided between low-income rentals and
moderate-income homeownership.
"The Hawthorne community
serves as an example of the positive impact planned, quality,
affordable housing can have on a neighborhood. Low-income families,
now live next door to middle class families and upper middle class
families living in $650,000 homes. This would not have been
possible without this public investment," Mr. Greene
said.
Hawthorne Park will become the 64th park in the
Fairmount Park system, according to Fairmount Park Executive
Director Mark Focht.
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