In Struggling Sharswood, Philadelphia Tries to Rebuild

The New York Times recently ran a story on the City of Philadelphia’s efforts to rebuild the neighborhood of Sharswood, one of the most troubled areas of the city. While many cities struggling with urban revitalization choose to focus on building basic homes in the place of blighted properties, Philadelphia’s plans for Sharswood extend far beyond that. The public housing authority is also looking at bringing in businesses and opening new schools as part of a larger plan to breathe new life into the neighborhood.

Pictured is a school in Sharswood, a struggling neighborhood in Philadelphia.

The city is in the process of razing the Norman Blumberg Apartments, a building that was in an advanced state of decay and an especial eyesore in the struggling neighborhood. Two other high-rise apartments that were Sharswood is just two-and-a-half miles from Center City Philadelphia, but you’d never know that the gleaming highrises of downtown were within walking distance to look at the neighborhood. Violence and crime are rampant here, and the public housing authority knows it has a long way to go in trying to make a turnaround.

Kelvin A. Jeremiah, president of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, says that the Sharswood Blumberg Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan is a multi-year project into which the city has invested $500 million. He says that fresh housing, along with offices, shops, and new or re-opened schools will go a long way towards attracting new families to the neighborhood. The homes and apartments being built are expected to sell and rent for below market value, all the better to attract a new element to Sharswood. The first 57 new homes will be available in the fall.

“We never really came up with a comprehensive approach that went beyond housing,” Mr. Jeremiah said. “If you only focus on housing, what about the crime issues? What about amenities? What about the education?”

The new Sharswood will be centered around Ridge Avenue, the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare. Businesses were lost there due to rioting in the 1960s, and the neighborhood never recovered. Under the new plan, however, it’s likely that Sharswood will become a model for not just the city and state but the whole nation as well, of how to turn a struggling neighborhood around with a combination of houses, schools, and businesses.