PHILADELPHIA | 2012 Chestnut Street | 171 FT | 14 FLOORS

[summersm343]

Demolition moves ahead for PHA’s former headquarters on Chestnut Street

Plans to demolish the former Philadelphia Housing Authority headquarters at 2012 Chestnut St. to make way for a mixed-income 14-story apartment tower are moving forward, potentially bringing new life to a long blighted lot.

The demolition proposal is the first movement on the crumbling property in two years and follows a series of thwarted redevelopment attempts since the housing authority left its four-story office space 16 years ago.

PHA has been working with the Alterra Property Group on the development since 2016, but the latest blueprint for the apartment building will have substantially fewer units, but a greater volume of affordable housing than originally proposed.

The project will now rent 40% of its 121 units at market-rate prices, and 60% to households making below 80% of the area median income — which is about $89,000 annually for a family of four. The original proposal for a 200-unit building had those proportions reversed.

Under the new plan, the housing authority will also retain control of the property. Originally, Alterra would have received a 99-year ground lease, but now they are just developing the project.

While demolition is scheduled for this spring, the construction timeline is less concrete. Leo Addimando, managing partner of Alterra, said that while he hoped to break ground in a year, financing an affordable housing project of this size could bring unseen delays.

“It’s hard enough to finance market-rate deals right now, then once you throw in affordability it’s incredibly tricky,” he said.

Read/view more here:
https://www.inquirer.com/news/pha-headquarters-demolition--20240209.html

[Gatorade_Jim]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Demolition moves ahead for PHA’s former headquarters on Chestnut Street



Read/view more here:
https://www.inquirer.com/news/pha-headquarters-demolition--20240209.html

Hmm. Hopefully this doesn't cause them to value engineer it to death.

[Freudacror]

What are the potential concerns or considerations regarding the risk of "value engineering" during the redevelopment of PHA's former headquarters, and how might it impact the overall project's success and quality?

[PurpleWhiteOut]

EDIT: Nevermind, the article claims it is still 14 stories.

There are 80 less units (121 vs 200), so are the units larger/more bedrooms maybe?

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by Freudacror

What are the potential concerns or considerations regarding the risk of "value engineering" during the redevelopment of PHA's former headquarters, and how might it impact the overall project's success and quality?

Materials and massing. The original design isn't winning any awards, but it looked nice enough. I would prefer we didn't get another vinyl box.

[PurpleWhiteOut]

The demolition of the former PHA building is complete

[TK2001]

Is the mural showing Mellon Bank Center and Liberty Place gone?

[PurpleWhiteOut]

Originally Posted by TK2001

Is the mural showing Mellon Bank Center and Liberty Place gone?

Yes, the whole lot is cleared

[PHLJD13]

https://www.phillymag.com/property/2025/04/22/pha-headquarters-apartment-chestnut-street/

Still meandering along, now targeting a Q1 2026 start date.

[mcgrath618]

After decade of delay, Philadelphia Housing Authority will bring affordable housing to Center City

Almost 20 years after the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) moved out of its Center City headquarters, a long-promised mixed-income tower will finally begin construction early next year.

The 14-story building is being built by Philadelphia developer Alterra Property Group, which may also manage the site after it opens. PHA will hold a 99-year ground lease on the property at 2012 Chestnut St., which will be its only affordable building in Center City.

“It’s a multifamily, mixed-use, mixed-income building in a high opportunity neighborhood,” said Kelvin Jeremiah, president and CEO of PHA.

It “would afford residents a huge opportunity to live in an area that has access to transportation, employment opportunities, and a whole host of amenities literally right outside of their building entrance,” he said.

The tower will have 121 apartments, 40% of which will be rented at market rate with the rest targeted at tenants below 80% of area median income (or almost $83,000 for a three-person household). It will have 28 studios, 63 one-bedroom, and 30 two-bedroom units.

It also will have 2,000 square feet of commercial space, parking available off-site, and amenities that include a roof deck. The project was designed by JKRP Architects.

“I’m looking to break ground in Q1 of next year,” said Mark Cartella, Alterra’s senior vice president of development and construction. “It’s been a long time coming, so we’re excited to finally be going vertical here.”

Still the same rendering from JKrap.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

After decade of delay, Philadelphia Housing Authority will bring affordable housing to Center City

Still the same rendering from JKrap.

The final product will look bad. I would have rather seen the now demolished handsome housing authority building refurbished, with a side addition rather than knock it all down and build shlock.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ritten...I1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoKLDEwMDc5MjA3MUgBUAM%3D

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

The final product will look bad. I would have rather seen the now demolished handsome housing authority building refurbished, with a side addition rather than knock it all down and build shlock.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ritten...I1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoKLDEwMDc5MjA3MUgBUAM%3D

Completely agree!! I've yet to see JKRP design something that looks remotely like a building!

[PurpleWhiteOut]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Completely agree!! I've yet to see JKRP design something that looks remotely like a building!

Yeah, largely theyre the go-to for cheap garbage, but they do have a few successful designs which must have been a different type of client for once. Hancock Lofts is pretty good, and im pretty impressed with the artist village redevelopment around 18th and bainbridge, and certain angles of 700 Delaware are great though some angles are horrid.

They seem better at rowhomes, looking at their website, but most of their mid rise stuff is among the worst of the worst

[Arch+Eng]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

After decade of delay, Philadelphia Housing Authority will bring affordable housing to Center City




Still the same rendering from JKrap.

Here are some more up to date renderings from 11-25-25. Looks better than the rendering that you posted imo.

171' to top of pilot house parapet. 163' to roof.

[mcgrath618]

I agree, actually. It’s incredible how much better a building looks with symmetrical windows than without.

Not perfect, but for PHA’s first tower in awhile I’ll take it.

[PHL10]

I like the massing.

[Arch+Eng]

This should be breaking ground February / march.

[kool-ski]

Commercial building permit
cp-2025-005310

new construction of a fourteen (14) story high rise building with residential balconies and common amenity roof deck for use as a shell commercial space (use registration & fit-out permits required prior to occupancy) and one hundred twenty-one (121) dwelling units as per approved plans

[domodeez]

Originally Posted by kool-ski

Commercial building permit
cp-2025-005310

This project on the old PHA HQ site has been one of the more drawn out Center City developments in my lifetime. Sitting unused for 18+ years now. Can’t wait until it is finally done.

[BroadandMarket]

Originally Posted by domodeez

This project on the old PHA HQ site has been one of the more drawn out Center City developments in my lifetime. Sitting unused for 18+ years now. Can’t wait until it is finally done.

It's been such a massive eyesore. I'm sure El Rey and 1 Tippling Place are especially ecstatic. Just need Parkway to redevelop the lot further west on Chestnut.