This section of West Philadelphia has experienced a drastic decline in total population since 1950, with the greatest population decline occurring during the 1970's. Significant neighborhood deterioration has accompanied the loss in population. Approximately half of West Philadelphia's 4,128 vacant structures are located here, and vacant land is a major blighting influence in some parts of the area.
Poverty is widespread in this part of West Philadelphia, and this is an underlying cause for the physical deterioration that is evident. In four of the seven census tracts within these neighborhoods, 1990 median family incomes were less than 53% of the city median. The area is also characterized by high unemployment, low educational attainment, and high rates for infant mortality and for infants born at very low birth weight. Additionally, many of the neighborhoods in this area are plagued by drug use, drug trafficking and crime.
The problem of deteriorated housing in the neighborhoods northeast of 52nd & Market Streets goes beyond the problem of vacant housing. Deterioration also reflects the many occupied properties that are in poor condition, and information indicates that most of these are rental properties. The condition of occupied rental housing is a major concern wherever poverty exists in West Philadelphia, but especially here where poverty is concentrated.
Strengths
Some of the neighborhoods Northeast of 52nd & Market Streets are located particularly close to employment centers in West Philadelphia and Center City. A new and growing center of employment is also located in this area, the West Parkside Enterprise Zone, which includes the Parkside Industrial Park. Another economic strength is the busy Lancaster Avenue commercial district, which is centrally located to serve these neighborhoods. The principal transit route for the area is also located on Lancaster Avenue; the Route 10 subway-surface line has new light rail vehicles that travel on a reconstructed track bed.
Despite the serious deterioration, these neighborhoods contain several stable
residential areas, an important strength that is often overlooked. Every one of the seven neighborhoods contains groups of blocks that have few vacant homes and high homeownership. In fact, the overall homeownership rate for these neighborhoods is surprisingly high. According to the 1990 Census, 51.7% of the housing is owner-occupied.
Neighborhood revitalization and urban renewal programs have been successful in
reversing deterioration in eastern Mantua and in Mill Creek; and in East Parkside, a community-based developer has begun to rehabilitate more of the large vacant apartment buildings that face Fairmount Park. All of the neighborhoods in this area are represented by active and, in most cases, long-established community groups:
A number of housing developments have been constructed here since 1980; they are listed in Tables 8 and 9, pages 28 and 29. In addition, several new institutional developments have occurred in the area: the West Philadelphia Community Center at 3520 Haverford Ave., The Caring Center at 3101 Spring Garden Street, the expansion of the Stephen Smith Nursing Home and Apartments at Girard & Belmont Avenues, the St. Ignatius Nursing Home at 4401 Haverford Ave., and the Seventh Day Adventist Church at 46th & Fairmount. The Office of Housing and Community Development rehabilitated approximately 40 homes in East Parkside and Mantua under the "Homestart" affordable homeownership program. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania funded the construction of streets and utilities for the new Parkside Industrial Park.
From 1960 to 1980, revitalization efforts included Community Development Block Grant-funded Neighborhood Strategy Areas in Mantua and West Parkside, urban renewal programs in Mantua, Belmont and Mill Creek, the construction or rehabilitation of over 1,500 new subsidized housing units in 21 separate developments, and the Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization project undertaken through the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation along the Lancaster Avenue commercial strip.
Plans for the Neighborhoods Northeast of 52nd & Market Streets will build on these investments and strengths.
Methodology
Most of the recommendations for the area northeast of 52nd & Market Streets are the result of an intensive planning effort that was established for the most deteriorated and poverty-stricken neighborhoods in West Philadelphia. Detailed neighborhood plans were prepared for five of the seven neighborhoods northeast of 52nd & Market Streets. The five plans are based on exhaustive surveys and analysis. All of this information used in the preparation of the plans was presented, shown, and discussed at community meetings, and is available for review at the Planning Commission.
Area-Wide Recommendations
An open space strategy is recommended for the Mantua, Belmont and East Mill Creek neighborhoods, which contain a total of more than 1,000 vacant lots. These vacant lots should be placed in community control to be used as the community decides-for gardens, parking spaces, lawns, tot lots, sitting areas, etc. An existing non-profit organization (such as the Neighborhood Gardens Association), could act as a land trust by holding this land on behalf of neighborhood organizations and could also assist with the preparation of an open space plan for the area. The advantage of this approach is that the land trust could assist neighborhood organizations with insurance, open space development, and planning. Community Development funds could pay for a portion of the costs incurred by the land trust on behalf of the community.
Open space must play a major role in the future of the neighborhoods northeast of 52nd & Market Streets. This idea is part of a new set of expectations about revitalizing
residential areas that are severely blighted. Neighborhoods located Northeast of 52nd & Market Streets have lost one-third to one-half of their population since 1950. Even under the best scenarios for housing production and residential-related improvements, it is not possible to re-populate these neighborhoods to the levels that existed 45 years ago. Therefore in the future, population density should be lower than in the past. Housing should be more spread out, with more open space. This will improve the environment and the quality of life for the population that currently lives in the area.
Increased public assistance for improvement of small rental properties is also recommended for the neighborhoods northeast of 52nd & Market Streets. In this area, the combination of low incomes and declining population has weakened the market for rental housing. When rental income is low, landlords will often defer maintenance; and when many landlords defer maintenance, the entire neighborhood suffers. Plans for blighted neighborhoods must include incentives that make it easier for landlords to invest in property maintenance. Therefore, it is recommended that low-interest housing improvement loans be made available to owners of small rental properties. These loans should be targeted to the housing treatment areas recommended for the neighborhoods northeast of 52nd & Market Street.
The City's existing housing programs are addressing this need through the MEND II program. MEND II is the City's new version of a rental rehabilitation program that was
discontinued by the federal government. The original MEND program was very successful in Philadelphia, producing more than 1,500 rental units in five years. However, the program was not targeted to specific areas as is recommended here. And to the extent that the MEND II program is unable to meet the needs of these neighborhoods, it is recommended that a new loan program for small rental properties be established to help revitalize the neighborhoods of West Philadelphia.
Mantua's main streets are 34th Street and Haverford Avenue. The neighborhood has important locational advantages because of its proximity to Center City, University City, Fairmount Park and the Schuylkill Expressway. The Mantua Urban Renewal Area covers the entire neighborhood, and the urban renewal effort has resulted in significant new construction and rehabilitation activity in the eastern section near 34th Street. However, conditions in the western section, which is larger and almost entirely residential, have continued to worsen.
The number one priority for Mantua is to begin treating deterioration in the western section of the neighborhood, which has been neglected by public programs in the past. The area surrounding the 39th & Olive Streets playground is recommended to receive targeted improvements because of the existence of high residential vacancy and a deteriorated playground. The playground itself needs extensive modifications; its boundaries and its design must be re-evaluated, with emphasis on security, visibility and surveillance.
Other smaller target areas in western Mantua are also recommended for treatment for reasons pertaining to public ownership and high visibility in the neighborhood. Open space planning is also a high priority for this neighborhood, which contains approximately 570 vacant lots (45% of which are publicly-owned). In eastern Mantua in the vicinity of 34th Street & Haverford Avenue, a new Town Center zone is recommended as a way of linking several important properties: Mt. Vernon Garden Apartments, Mantua Recreation Center, Mantua Branch of the Free Library, New Hope Baptist Church, the food market, the fire station, West Philadelphia Community Center, and Grace Lutheran Church.
Recommendations: Mantua
The Belmont neighborhood is bounded by 40th Street , the AMTRAK rail line, 44th Street , and Haverford Avenue. The Lancaster Avenue commercial district is located in the center of the neighborhood. The Belmont Improvement Association, a long-established community organization, is headquartered in one of the storefront buildings on Lancaster Avenue.
The residential building stock is generally intact in the area to the north of Lancaster
Avenue, where a mixture of housing types exists. However, the area to the south of Lancaster Avenue has experienced a large amount of demolition activity, and many of these blocks have taken on a bleak and desolate appearance.
The southern portion of Belmont also contains an important strength - the apartment complex for the elderly that is bordered by Haverford Avenue, 41st Street, Warren Street and 42nd Street. This low-rise development was built in 1968 and is called Marshall Shepard Village. The non-profit, community-based developer of Marshall Shepard Village has formed a C.D.C. that is working to rehabilitate housing located just to the west of the apartment complex. This activity is strongly supported by the Planning Commission and the Office of Housing and Community Development, but additional support activities are needed in the immediate area.
The recommendations for Belmont follow from four initiatives that are necessary for reversing deterioration in the neighborhood. First, the housing in the northwest portion of the neighborhood is recommended for conservation programs aimed at preserving the housing stock and maintaining high homeownership rates. Second, the surroundings of two significant properties, each occupying a full city block, must be improved with a combination of rehabilitation and open space treatments. The two properties are the former Sara Allen nursing home, which is being redeveloped by Friends Rehabilitation Corporation, and the Belmont School, which is a focal point and an asset to community life.
Third, the revitalization of the Lancaster Avenue commercial area must continue. An existing public parking lot (intended for use by shoppers) at 4076 Lancaster Avenue should be rebuilt as a smaller but better utilized parking lot with an on-site attendant, better access, lighting and security. The merchants' association needs to become more active and should be involved in the management of the parking lot. It is also recommended that the traditional mixed-use character of urban shopping districts should be emphasized on Lancaster Avenue because of this corridor's favorable appearance and location. The apartments that exist above the stores should be re-occupied in order to physically improve the strip and provide additional buying power and increased safety along the Lancaster Avenue. The Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation's "Philadelphia Company Store" program was established to promote mixed-use occupancy of structures located on retail corridors, and the program should be used on this section of Lancaster Avenue.
Fourth, a new open space strategy (see "Area-Wide Recommendations" on page 45) is needed to treat vacant land that exists in the area south of Lancaster Avenue. The vacant land has potential for development of formal open space, housing or recreation; and these kinds of improvements will provide much-needed support for the community development activities that are taking place near Marshall Shepard Village.
Summary of Recommendations: Belmont
The Mill Creek neighborhood is located between 44th and 52nd Streets from Haverford Avenue north to Girard Avenue. Its population of approximately 10,000 is the largest among the Neighborhoods Northeast of 52nd & Market Streets. Long-time residents of the neighborhood have seen some important and sudden changes since the mid 1950's. In 1955, the first public housing community to be constructed in West Philadelphia opened at 46th Street & Fairmount Avenue. Six years later, the huge Mill Creek sewer caved in, causing the collapse of several homes and the demolition of more than 100 additional homes that were endangered by the cave-in. Today, a string of connected improved open spaces marks the underground route of the Mill Creek sewer.
In 1966, the West Mill Creek Urban Renewal Area was established in response to increasing vacancy and the obsolescence of buildings. The urban renewal designation, which was later expanded to include East Mill Creek, facilitated the construction of sales housing, new rental units, additional public housing, as well as a supermarket, private school, church and nursing home. Mill Creek has obviously benefitted from urban renewal, but many parcels that were cleared for new development are still vacant today. Mill Creek is a combination of original rowhouse blocks and modern development, a mixture of developed and undeveloped land.
The plan for Mill Creek is essentially a new development strategy that will guide the completion of urban renewal projects in the West Mill Creek and East Mill Creek Urban Renewal Areas. Housing conservation is also proposed for the section of East Mill Creek north of Merion Avenue -- an area that is contiguous with a portion of Belmont that is also recommended for conservation.
The 45th & Parrish area contains many vacant parcels of land that await development. Residential or open space use is recommended, and commercial use is an option for parcels fronting on Lancaster Avenue. If new construction takes place here, the surrounding residential area should also be treated and revitalized; and if a developer cannot be attracted to the 45th & Parrish area, the strategy for community managed open space as described on page 45 will be essential.
Summary of Recommendations: Mill Creek
Dunlap is a comparatively small neighborhood with well-defined boundaries: Market Street, 49th Street, Haverford Avenue and 52nd Street. The neighborhood is located between two of West Philadelphia's important strengths-the 52nd Street commercial area and the Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital. The Dunlap Apartments, a residence for the elderly centrally located in the neighborhood at 51st & Race Streets, is an excellent reuse of the former Dunlap School building. The completion of this historic rehabilitation project in 1991 had been anxiously awaited by the residents of the neighborhood. The Dunlap neighborhood is densely built-up with row homes, but large vacant lots have been created along Market Street because of demolition of vacant structures. Deterioration along Market Street poses a serious threat to this neighborhood.
Summary of Recommendations: Dunlap
East Parkside borders Fairmount Park between 38th Street and Belmont Avenue. There are many advantages to living in this neighborhood. It is adjacent to Fairmount Park, the Zoo and the expressway, and it is a National Register Historic District that contains many architecturally distinguished buildings. But these assets have not deterred the forces of disinvestment and deterioration that have affected so many inner city neighborhoods. The massive and ornate group of structures facing Memorial Hall is West Philadelphia's most visible symbol of neighborhood decay. Immediately to the south of those apartments, many more vacant structures exist on Memorial Street, Marlton Street and on the 4100 blocks of Viola Street and Leidy Avenue.
Some sections of East Parkside are in much better condition. The single-family houses in the 4200 blocks of Parkside Avenue, Leidy Avenue and Thompson Street are well kept, and many homeowners have remained in the smaller row homes located between 38th and 40th Streets.
This neighborhood is fortunate to have a community based non-profit development corporation that is investing in the area's revitalization. The Parkside Historic Preservation Corporation is chiefly responsible for the historic district designation and for the rehabilitation of apartment buildings at 4100 Parkside Avenue and 4152 Parkside Avenue. Recently completed, 4152 Parkside Avenue is phase 1 of the award-winning Brantwood Apartments rehabilitation project. Phases 2 and 3 will complete the renovation of the large vacant apartment buildings that face Parkside Avenue. In its entirety, Parkside Historic Preservation Corporation's Brantwood project is West Philadelphia's largest and most significant rehabilitation initiative.
The recommendations for East Parkside must respond to revitalization needs in a balanced and comprehensive manner. First, Parkside Avenue properties should become part of an Historic Preservation Corridor that will focus city resources on stabilizing valuable structures until they can be rehabilitated. Second, housing conservation is recommended for the area east of 40th Street where the Homestart program has been active in the past; recommendations for new development at two locations east of 40th Street will support the conservation activities. Other recommendations for East Parkside focus on the revitalization of the 40th & Girard commercial area and improvements to the environment of the Leidy School.
Summary of Recommendations: East Parkside
West Parkside is located between Fairmount Park and the AMTRAK rail line, between 51st and 53rd Streets. Fifty-Second Street, running north-to-south through the neighborhood, is the main street in West Parkside. This community has been well represented by its neighborhood organization, the Parkside Association of Philadelphia. This group has been involved in all of the important developments that have occurred in and around this neighborhood during the past 15 years -- starting with the Mann Music Center just across Parkside Avenue, and continuing with CD-funded housing programs, the location of the Philadelphia Business and Technology Center on Parkside Avenue, the Parkside Industrial Park, the West Parkside Enterprise Zone, and the rehabilitation of two large apartment complexes located on the west side of 52nd Street.
Completing the revitalization of 52nd Street is the top priority for West Parkside. Because of the success of prior housing program activity to the west of 52nd Street, and in response to the major new apartment rehabilitation projects situated on the west side of 52nd Street, top priority should be given to the rehabilitation of vacant buildings located on the east side of 52nd Street.
Recommendation: West Parkside
This neighborhood is located immediately north of Cathedral Cemetery. Among the neighborhoods northeast of 52nd Street, Cathedral Park has the smallest population. Approximately 1,900 people reside in the neighborhood, and most of the housing is located within a triangle formed by 52nd Street, Lancaster Avenue and Girard Avenue. Each of these major arterials is an important public transportation route. Residents can shop in the retail district at 52nd Street & Girard Avenue, on the western edge of the neighborhood.
The top priority is to rehabilitate vacant houses on the 4900 blocks of Stiles Street and Girard Avenue. These blocks contain the largest concentration of vacancy in the neighborhood. City resources should be used to expand on the rehabilitation work being undertaken on Stiles Street by the Habitat for Humanity non-profit organization. Other recommendations for Cathedral Park are aimed at improving conditions along Lancaster Avenue and 52nd Street, which contain a mixture of commercial, residential and industrial uses.
Summary of Recommendations: Cathedral Park
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