800 Vine Senior, a 51-unit fully affordable community has broken ground in Philadelphia’s Chinatown in Pennsylvania. Recently, the co-developers, Pennrose and Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. hosted an official groundbreaking event to mark the project’s milestone.
According to Penrose’s regional VP, Jacob Fisher, 800 Vine Senior will replace a vacant lot with much-needed housing. Therefore, he said his company was pleased to finally break ground on the project after years of planning and collaboration. Fisher said he was proud to celebrate the first step towards building a new high-quality affordable housing project for Chinatown’s seniors.
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The 800 Vine Senior Community will be built at an underutilized surface parking lot at 9th and Vine Streets. Its location is just off Interstate 676 and proximal to Interstate 95. Therefore, the transit-oriented project provides easy commutes across the metropolitan area. In addition, residents will also have access to Independence Mall and Franklin Square Park as well.
800 Vine Senior offers 100% affordable senior housing and it will be built as part of the Center City Redevelopment project. Earlier, the plans for the site included a 150-key hotel, an office complex, public greenery and market-rate properties. However, the development plans were changed during the Covid pandemic to feature senior affordable housing.
Development plans for 800 Vine Senior
800 Vine Senior will have a five-story floor plan with a mix of studio, one and two-bedroom units. However, the units will only be available for seniors earning at or below 60% of the area median income (AMI).
The developers have split the 51 units into three groups based on the AMI. Consequently, six units will be available at or below 20% AMI, and twenty units at or below 50% AMI. While the remaining twenty-five units will be set aside for individuals at or below 60% AMI.
The building features an adaptable design, with 10% of its apartments equipped for residents with physical disabilities, hearing and vision impairments. Additionally, the building was designed with the aim of meeting Energy Star Certification and Enterprise Green Communities standards.
800 Vine Senior residents will enjoy access to amenities such as a large community room and outdoor courtyard. The building features laundry facilities on each floor, a fitness centre and parking spaces for residents.
What’s more the property also boasts of on-site management and supportive services to help improve living standards for senior residents. A coordinator will be available to plan intergenerational events and programs for residents and the surrounding neighbourhood.
