Largest Ever Philadelphia Housing Authority Redevelopment to Seize 1,300 Vacant Properties

Philadelphia Housing Authority will use eminent domain to redevelop a huge swath of vacant properties in the Sharswood neighborhood.

1 minute read

June 12, 2015, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"The Philadelphia Housing Authority will seize nearly 1,300 properties for a major urban renewal project in the city’s Sharswood neighborhood," according to an article by Emily Washington. "The plan includes the demolition of two of the neighborhood’s three high-rise public housing buildings — the Blumberg towers — that will be replaced with a large mixed-income development. The new buildings will increase the neighborhood population tenfold with the majority of the new units to be affordable housing."

Washington also reports local concerns about the accuracy of the city's figures regarding how many of those properties are actually vacant. Washington's coverage also includes discussion of the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants that will contribute funding for the project.

An article for Mensah Dean for the Philadelphia Daily News reports that the project has been described as the largest redevelopment project in the history of the Philadelphia Housing Authority. "Plans call for building 1,200 affordable and market-rate rental units and homeowner units; 500,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, renovated school and recreation centers and new athletic fields," according to Dean.

Matt Gelb broke the news about the plans for the project, with in-depth coverage for the Philadelphia Inquirer that includes descriptions of the current conditions in the Sharswood neighborhood in addition to the details of the redevelopment.

Thursday, June 4, 2015 in Philadelphia Inquirer

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight