NewCourtland LIFE Center Underway for North Philadelphia Seniors

By Veronica Grecu, Associate Editor

An underutilized brownfield in North Philadelphia is being redeveloped by NewCourtland Elder Services, Inc., a non-profit organization providing community services, into a $5.6 million mixed-use complex for seniors. The event was marked by a groundbreaking ceremony held at the site attended by city officials and local representatives.

Located at 1900 W. Allegheny Avenue in one of Philadelphia most densely populated neighborhoods, the five-acre site is one of the largest vacant parcels of land in Philadelphia. It housed the Stanley Blacker suit factory along with its 750 employees until 1991, when it was closed. Three years later a fire destroyed most of the buildings, so the property was left abandoned.

As reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, in 2004 NewCourtland Elder Services, Inc. purchased the site from the City’s Redevelopment Authority for $80,000 with plans to redevelop the property into a state-of-the-art senior services campus. When completed in 2013, this will be the third NewCourtland LIFE (Living Independently for Elders) Center operated in Philadelphia by the non-profit organization.

The $5.6 million venture is the first phase of the revitalization project, according to the Inquirer. It will occupy three acres and will include a 15,659-square-foot senior healthcare and medical center to accommodate 115 low-income seniors each day. The center will operate with funds coming from Medicare and Medicaid. On the remaining two acres the developer plans to add 120 affordable housing units anchored by the new LIFE center.

It is estimated that nearly 2,700 seniors living in the Northwest section of Philadelphia are eligible to attend the three LIFE centers, and 25 percent of these reside in the communities that surround NewCourtland LIFE at Allegheny.

Image courtesy of NewCourtland