Months ago, we gave you an update on PHA‘s Norris Apartments, a fifty-one unit development on the  2000 block of N. 11th St. that’s replacing an unfortunate high-rise building.

The old building

From back in October

We were in the neighborhood the other day, and the exteriors of these homes look like they’re very nearly done. No clue how things look inside the homes, but the outsides looks awfully close to the renderings.

Looking north

Closer look

Looking south

Compare to the rendering:

Pretty close, huh?

These homes are, from both an architectural and an environmental standpoint, a dramatic improvement over pretty much anything we’ve seen from PHA to this point. Hopefully, this project will become the gold standard for new construction from the Housing Authority. Or at the very least, we can hope that architects Blackney Hayes get hired for another project sometime soon.

We almost caused a car accident yesterday at 7th St. & Montgomery Ave., when the sight of some unexpected buildings stopped us dead in our tracks.

What?

Huh?

A sign was leaning against the building on the corner with a phone number to call for more information, and we wasted no time. After a few moments of conversation, we remembered hearing about these homes years ago, and were able to start putting the pieces together. These two homes, along with eleven others like them, were built by community group Asociacion de Puertorriquenos en Marcha (APM) as affordable housing units. According to their website, APM has constructed more than 210 units of affordable housing rentals, 136 affordable housing units that have been for owner occupants, and a 44K sqft retail center in the neighborhood.

The homes themselves are…

On March 25, just off the edge of Temple University campus in North Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Housing Authority began its demolition of the 1950s era high-rising Norris Apartments. Instead of controlled implosion with the use of explosives, the PHA’s weapon of choice this time (and for the first time) was the more energy-friendly and lower-costing wrecking ball.

The PHA plans to replace this dated apartment complex with LEED-certified apartments in a project that will total $19.3M. This environmentally oriented building certification program focuses on key areas of human and environmental health, including energy efficiency, proper material selection and water conservation. The planned development will contain 51 new units, each complete with solar hot water panels on their rooftops, Energy Star-efficient windows and appliances, low-pressure plumbing fixtures, fluorescent light fixtures and native landscaping all oriented in such a way to utilize cross ventilation. Within the development (bordered by Diamond, Norris,…