Upper Holmesburg residents study Holy Family University's early plans for the redevelopment of Liddonfield. Photo/Shannon McDonald

Of the 20 proposals awaiting consideration from the Philadelphia Housing Authority, the one from Holy Family University for the redevelopment of Liddonfield has the support of the Upper Holmesburg community.

If it wasn’t the speeches from Sr. Francesca Onley of HFU, 6th District Councilman Bobby Henon, developer John Parsons, Upper Holmesburg Civic Association President Stan Cywynski or UHCA board member Paul DeFinis, it was the applause and cheers from the 50-plus residents in attendance that proved the neighborhood is ready for a change.

Planning for Liddonfield’s future began early last year when the UHCA started working with the Philadelphia City Planning Commission to revitalize the neighborhood according to Philadelphia2035 goals.

“We were very practiced in our process, and that just may be our saving grace,” DeFinis said of his hopes that the effort Upper Holmesburg has made will be enough for the PHA.

With the help of politicians at the city, state and federal levels; a petition 4,000 signatures long; and support from the Holmesburg, Holme Circle, East Torresdale, Tacony and Morrell Park civic associations; the UHCA now waits to hear if the PHA will enter an agreement with Holy Family.

If that’s the case, John Parsons of BSI Construction (Island Green Country Club), outlined what he stressed are conceptual plans his development company has for the Liddonfield property at Torresdale Avenue and Megargee Street. continue reading »

The sit of the former Liddonfield Homes in Upper Holmesburg stands to be redeveloped. Image/Google Maps

Upper Holmesburg’s Liddonfield housing project has been torn down, but the site itself (bound by Megargee, Cottage and Tolbut streets and Torresdale Avenue) remains a source of controversy in the neighborhood as residents wait to see what springs up in its place.

This is an important week for two Northeast groups as they focus on the former public housing development’s past and future.

Tonight, the Northeast Philadelphia History Network will host speaker Rosemary Reeves [calendar item]. The former Liddonfield resident will discuss her time spent there and her effort to have a marker placed on the site — whatever it may become — to recognize the positive impact Liddonfield had on many of the people who lived there.

Regardless of the property’s past, the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association doesn’t want to see public housing take priority at Liddonfield in the future. Thursday is the last day Holmesburg and Torresdale residents can submit petitions in support of a redevelopment by Holy Family University. continue reading »

At a February meeting, Upper Holmesburg residents identified areas that need improvements or enhancements.

Four months’ worth of work came together Thursday night at the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association, where the City Planning Commission unveiled its “Neighborhood Goals and Strategies Report” for neighborhood development and improvement.

The report is based on the efforts of the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association, the Planning Commission and neighborhood planning team and the 100-plus residents who attended meetings to share their ideas for the neighborhood.

“It’s just amazing what we did here,” UHCA board zoning officer Paul Definis said.” Definis, along with others, has been involved with deciding what Upper Holmesburg would like to see come out of the Planning Commission’s proposals, which are part of the city’s larger Phila2035 plan. continue reading »

With the help of the City Planning Commission, PHA and Philadelphia Sports Zone, Upper Holmesburg residents identify areas of note and trouble in their neighborhood that could be improved with better planning. Nearly 100 people attended the meeting.

Last night’s Upper Holmesburg Civic Association meeting drew nearly 100 people, as representatives from the Planning Commission and Public Housing Authority were scheduled to speak.

Ian Litwin, the Commission’s community planner for parts of the Northeast, was the highlighted guest, as the meeting is the first of many to address how Upper Holmesburg fits into the Philadelphia2035 plan.

But five representatives from PHA also stopped by to hear concerns, specifically regarding Liddonfield. The low-income development has been demolished, but residents want to know what’s coming next.

PHA has “no commitments to do anything at the site,” said Michael Johns, head of community planning design at PHA. Johns faced many questions from residents about what’s planned for the Liddonfield property and what will happen in the meantime. continue reading »

Upper Holmesburg residents have been waiting for the demolition of Liddonfield for five years. The civic association has worked with police, politicians and the Public Housing Authority over the years when problems have cropped up, and recently established its own committee to oversee the demolition and transition process.

And though the announcement at last night’s meeting of the impending demolition  from Richard Zappile, chief of police for PHA was music to residents’ ears, those who’ve been fighting Liddonfield for the last five years want to make sure the new homes aren’t host to the same problems.

“The community is a large part of this,” said Zappile that PHA homes often raise neighborhood property values because of their innovative design and clean appearance. continue reading »

Belongings and broken glass are all that remains of the families who once resided in the Liddonfield development.

As part of a two-part series, NEast Philly goes inside two housing projects to examine what works, what doesn’t and what’s to come. In the first part, we take a look at the soon-to-be-demolished Liddonfield.

No plans are set for the 32-acre site in Upper Holmesburg where construction crews will eventually demolish the 436-unit Liddonfield Homes, but many neighbors are breathing a sigh of relief at the public housing development’s closure.

“They were saying for years they were going to close Liddonfield, and it never closed,” Maria Asterga, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Cuba and moved across the street from the development in 1964, said. “It was trouble and drugs. The cops came a lot. As a child, I was worried about walking up there.”

Asterga and her parents said rumors flew around the community since they moved there that the development, built as military barracks in the ‘40s and converted to public housing in the ‘50s, would be shut down. continue reading »

On any given day, you’ll find Officer Michelle McMillian patrolling the streets of the Northeast. She’s not a police officer, or a parking authority employee, though she’s been mistaken as both.

McMillian is an officer with SWEEP, the Department of Streets’ Streets & Walkways Education and Enforcement Program. The 30-year city employee was at last night’s Upper Holmesburg Civic Association meeting to talk about recycling.

“This area is not doing that well,” McMillian told the 20 or so residents in attendance about their trash and recycling habits. She cited some of the main problems she and her colleagues see as they patrol the streets: continue reading »

Holmesburg Civic Association's December meeting. Photo by Christopher Wink for NEast Philly.

The main topic of last night’s Holmesburg Civic Association was Police Service Areas — and why a commander from the 8th District  wasn’t there to explain them.

As the 8th District gets ready to launch Police Service Areas — breaking the district into three patrol zones — residents of Holmesburg, which sits in half the 8th and 15th districts, have questions. continue reading »

Q: So they’re finally planning on tearing down Liddonfield Homes. Do you think the home values will really improve in Upper Holmesburg?

A: Yes.

Last year, the average sold price on the closest blocks adjacent to Megargee Street and Tolbut Street was $127,000, more than 5 percent lower than the rest of the 19136 zip code. This is a good example to show that all real estate is local. Very local. continue reading »