Transforming a large vacant lot that stretches over a number of addresses into an affordable, live-in artists’ community is the heart of a new initiative slated for the 4000 block of Haverford Avenue in West Philly.

Vacant lot

Though there has definitely been some development in the surrounding blocks, notably in the student housing arena, the area is still ripe for some sort of positive atmospheric shift. Plans for this project at 4050-66 Haverford Ave. come from the folks at People’s Emergency Center (PEC), a West-Powelton based group. You may remember, they’re the folks responsible for the de-signification of the West Philadelphia Title and Trust just a block away. Plans for the Haverford Ave. site, currently owned by the Redevelopment Authority, call for its transformation into a space where low-income artists could live, as well as create and exhibit their work.

Gorgeous building just a block away

Six years ago, folks at PEC conducted a study to examine art and cultural resources in the community and identify opportunities for using the arts as an engine of community revitalization, an issue we’ve promulgated here at NakedPhilly.

Some forty West Philly artists contributed to the study, according to PEC’s website, that found artists are drawn to the area due to the low rents, variety of arts groups, and proximity to colleges. PEC itself began after the turn of the century, first working with artists in neighborhoods like Belmont, Mantua, Mill Creek, Saunders Park and West-Powelton.

As the cost of property has risen the past several years, and more development continues to be announced in University City and its fringe neighborhoods, PEC seems to have rededicated itself to taking this idea from dream to reality.

While a ribbon cutting ceremony may still be a few years away, PEC has submitted an application to the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency for Low Income Housing Tax Credits to mobilize the project. The collaborative effort includes partners from West Philly Arts Connect, West Philadelphia Traction Company, and architect Teddy Cruise.

Coming soon, we hope

While we love the folks at University City District, it’s a refreshing pleasure to see an innovative development project that utilizes collaborative actions from various community resources conceived in West Philly by another group.

–Lou Mancinelli