Norris Homes to be demolished

**Jayfar** · 07-28-2010, 09:34 AM

I've heard from a reliable source that the PHA Norris Homes high-rise and the surrounding low-rise buildings are to be vacated within the next few months and demolished, to be replaced with 52 houses. The residents were given notice at a meeting last weekend.

**eldondre** · 07-28-2010, 09:51 AM

now that's news! those are the homes between the regional rail stop and temple no? probably not coincidentally, the new "TOD" project on the other side of the station would have been separated from broad st by projects. hope it's true.

**girardo19122** · 07-28-2010, 10:51 AM

Only part of the site (btwn 10th and 11th and Norris and Diamond), which does include the high rise, is currently proposed for demolition. It will be replaced by 50ish units of new construction PHA public housing. The rest of the low rises may eventually be demolished, but that may be several years off.

**eldondre** · 07-28-2010, 10:58 AM

will it be PHA rental or a new "mixed income" community along the Hawthorne redevelopment?

**girardo19122** · 07-28-2010, 11:52 AM

The 50 units will be rental. Unclear what any future phases will include.

**eldondre** · 07-28-2010, 01:14 PM

it's clear that the city is still run for the non-workers that's for sure

**Sharkfood** · 09-17-2010, 10:16 AM

I just received a notice that the Norris Homes are closing and PHA is seeking to relocate approximately 300 families.
Within the next month or so I think.

**Fishtown Phan** · 09-17-2010, 10:45 AM

300 families almost sounds like the whole thing not just the highrise and lowrise between Norris and Diamond.

**Smooth Sailor** · 09-17-2010, 10:54 AM

I have to wonder how Temple is letting PHA build new homes in such a prime location. I was always under the impression that the University was in line to acquire that land once the homes were inevitably vacated. I had heard years ago there was a plan to build a housing complex for grad students to replace the ones at Broad and Norris.

**NE19149** · 09-17-2010, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by Jayfar

I've heard from a reliable source that the PHA Norris Homes high-rise and the surrounding low-rise buildings are to be vacated within the next few months and demolished, to be replaced with 52 houses. The residents were given notice at a meeting last weekend.

I bet smart pest exterminators will capitolize on that situation!
All those rats & roaches disturbed, fleeing the scene looking for new homes.

**Sharkfood** · 09-17-2010, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Smooth Sailor

I have to wonder how Temple is letting PHA build new homes in such a prime location. I was always under the impression that the University was in line to acquire that land once the homes were inevitably vacated. I had heard years ago there was a plan to build a housing complex for grad students to replace the ones at Broad and Norris.

I doubt Temple is interested because it's not part of the 20/20 plan. In addition, PHA relies on federal funding and HUD approval is required whenever they wish to dispose of any property.

**mixiboi** · 09-17-2010, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by Smooth Sailor

I have to wonder how Temple is letting PHA build new homes in such a prime location.

I'm surer Temple is more happy to be rid of the high rise then anything else..

**thoth** · 09-17-2010, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by Sharkfood

I doubt Temple is interested because it's not part of the 20/20 plan. In addition, PHA relies on federal funding and HUD approval is required whenever they wish to dispose of any property.

Temple needs council approval to acquire new land on top of that. There was a big dustup in the late 60s-early 70s with the surrounding the community following Temple's purchase and demolition of what now comprises about 85% of campus. The resultant agreement let them build most of what they wanted but more or less restricted them to a limited zone. I believe it's part of the reason they've just been incentivizing private developers to do the work for them recently by forcing kids to move off campus.

**eldondre** · 09-17-2010, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by thoth

Temple needs council approval to acquire new land on top of that. There was a big dustup in the late 60s-early 70s with the surrounding the community following Temple's purchase and demolition of what now comprises about 85% of campus. The resultant agreement let them build most of what they wanted but more or less restricted them to a limited zone. I believe it's part of the reason they've just been incentivizing private developers to do the work for them recently by forcing kids to move off campus.

where I went to school we were all envious of those who got to live off campus. different strokes for different folks I guess.

**cwd22** · 09-17-2010, 03:49 PM

Living off campus in a house is 1000x better than being in the dorms. The private apartment buildings seem a bit better than on-campus housing, but they have their problems.

**thoth** · 09-17-2010, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by eldondre

where I went to school we were all envious of those who got to live off campus. different strokes for different folks I guess.

I lived off campus 3 of the 4 years I spent there, I wasn't criticizing their strategy I think its brought a lot of good development to the neighborhood.

I also agree with cwd22 that living in a house anywhere else in the city is 1000x better in terms of QOL and price. However, I spent 1 year in a dorm and 1 year in real "off-campus housing", which cwd22 also mentions, meaning privately owned apts that were immediately adjacent to campus and basically only for temple students. Living in the dorms mostly just sucked because of rules/regulations, and most people having to share rooms. While that is not so much the case for the off-campus apartments, virtually every one I ever visited, including the one I lived in, was an overpriced ****hole with management that could have given two ****s about their tenants. In ways it was worse than the dorms because the units fell to ****, people partied all the time (which normally I could care less about, but of course the walls/ceilings/floors were paper thin), and management did nothing. Moving to a real house in Kensington was the best decision we ever made.

My sister also moved into the Edge, and all you have to do is google reviews of that apartment complex to hear horror stories about it. It's a shame cause the buildings usually look great and are key to reviving the area, but because college students are often crappy tenants and landlords are often cheap/lazy you have the perfect combination for junky housing experience.

**vonhayes** · 09-18-2010, 01:26 PM

There was a proposal last year for new construction of more off campus housing tower for Temple students along with townhouses for the locals on the lots next to the Norris Homes This would be where the existing run down store is across from the train tracks between 10th Street and Adler & Norris and Diamond.

Mosaic Development Partners was the developer and it was named Diamond Green.

**mixiboi** · 09-18-2010, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by thoth

My sister also moved into the Edge, and all you have to do is google reviews of that apartment complex to hear horror stories about it. It's a shame cause the buildings usually look great and are key to reviving the area, but because college students are often crappy tenants and landlords are often cheap/lazy you have the perfect combination for junky housing experience.

Yeah, when I heard the kids where putting there arms through the walls(It is dry wall after all), I knew it was over for that experiment.

**Sharkfood** · 09-18-2010, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by vonhayes

There was a proposal last year for new construction of more off campus housing tower for Temple students along with townhouses for the locals on the lots next to the Norris Homes This would be where the existing run down store is across from the train tracks between 10th Street and Adler & Norris and Diamond.

Mosaic Development Partners was the developer and it was named Diamond Green.

I believe that is Shirley Kitchen's pet project and I doubt it's going anywhere.

On the other hand, I do expect to see ground broken next year for the 155 unit building on 9th between Berks and Norris. That project was announced in June.
It has funding by way of grant money.

**hammersklavier** · 09-19-2010, 12:10 AM

If the land somehow landed in Temple's hands, I wouldn't be surprised if it was packaged as an "unexpected" "City" "donation"; the existing buildings then being "hastily" converted to grad and undergrad housing in the short term*--at least, until a new plan for the institutional development district could be agreed upon. (IDD plans require City Council approval, by the way.)

Also, I'm not surprised the Norris Homes are coming up for rehabilitation now. The plan put into place under Greene seems to involve building and/or renovating on the PHA's prodigious amounts of infill properties and redeveloping project housing according to a schedule of some sort (based on how bad off the respective projects were at the outset?). In any event, the massive improvement in both the quantity and quality of public housing in this city, in East Falls, Hawthorne, and Pennsport especially.

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*Not least, because such a conversion would essentially convert the apartments into suites, and suites are what Temple's building right now.