Philadelphia Housing Authority breaks ground on $45M headquarters in Sharswood

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) broke ground yesterday on its planned $45 million new headquarters at 2013 Ridge Avenue.

The multi-phase project, known to some as Sharswood-Blumberg, will first bring a six-story building to the site that will be the new home of the PHA. Later phases will include mixed-use buildings, retail, and residential units to the triangular site, as well.

The groundbreaking comes after a somewhat rocky response from the design community last year. The PHA presented its design proposal for the six-story building twice to the Civic Design Review. The committee hoped for a design that was less suburban, and commented on the lack of communication between the two city agencies.

via BLTa

PHA says the hope is that its new headquarters will be an economic driver for the revitalization of Sharswood. The North Philly neighborhood is currently in the middle of a $500 million redevelopment transformation that aims to bring 1,200 residential units and a retail corridor along Ridge Avenue to the area. In addition, PHA recently acquired the local Vaux High School, which is set to re-open this year.

Construction on the PHA headquarters is expected to finish up in the fall of 2018.

• PHA breaks ground on $45M N. Philly headquarters [Inquirer]