Groundbreaking took place last week for Frankford House, 42 units of affordable housing for senior citizens at Paul and Ruan streets.
Among those in attendance were City Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez, state Rep. Jason Dawkins and representatives of PNC Bank, the Philadelphia Land Bank and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.
Telesis Corporation, Wasserman Properties and the Frankford Community Development Corporation are teaming up on the project.
The $19.2 million project will transform a vacant .47-acre parcel of land that had been owned by the City of Philadelphia into a four-story development that will consist of 41,179 square feet with all one-bedroom units.
There will be a large community room with a warming kitchen on the ground floor. The ground floor will also house a management office, wellness center with exam rooms and a mailroom, as well as bike and other storage. On each floor, there will be additional community spaces, including a workout room, a library and co-working space. Laundry will be provided in a common area on the first floor. There will also be a landscaped yard and garden in the rear of the building.
Six of the units, distributed throughout the three floors, will be handicapped accessible, and there will be two additional units designed for hearing and visually impaired persons. The building will contain two elevators. The site allows for 15 parking spots.
Residents will also receive supportive services from the Philadelphia Senior Center II. The development commenced construction in March. Doors will open in late spring 2023.
The project is funded by PNC, the city Division of Housing and Community Development, PHFA and the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. ••
