Livin’ large

North, south, east, west — construction in South Philly is everywhere you turn. A dramatic change from the residential flight pattern of less than a decade ago, new houses are being raised on empty lots while old buildings receive facelifts. The inundation of development and revitalization is all in the name of urban progress.

In an effort to keep pace with the area’s multiple construction zones, the Review will provide occasional roundups of the residential blocks and shopping centers of tomorrow.

Jackson Place

A feasible housing option for local seniors is available at the newly constructed Jackson Place apartments, Fifth and Jackson streets.

PresbyHomes and Services, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, has completed construction on 66 apartment units in the large complex. Roughly 40 percent of its residents are age 65 and older.

"Affordable housing has not been made available for seniors in this area," said Karen Boyd, director of advancement and communications for PresbyHomes. "We’re meeting a need that had not yet been attended to."

State Rep. Bill Keller also has been instrumental in expediting the complex’s completion, Boyd said.

Under the program, qualified applicants will pay no more than 30 percent of their adjusted annual income on rent and utilities. While apartments are still available, Boyd said they are going fast.

The complex was dedicated last Friday as the area’s newest Section 202 community.

Jackson Place is one step in the Philadelphia Planning Commission’s strategy to redevelop the Seventh Street neighborhood and provide affordable housing to the area’s older residents.

PresbyHomes already has provided 2,300 older adults of various income levels with affordable housing facilities in and around Philadelphia, said Boyd.

The ‘Group of Four’

A quartet of dilapidated homes has been revitalized thanks to efforts led by the United Communities Community Development Corporation.

The nonprofit organization acquired the "Group of Four," located at 505 Emily St., 525 Porter St., 148 Gladstone St. and 806 McKean St., through Philadelphia’s Homeownership Rehabilitation Program.

Under the program, properties in question must be on a "fairly stable block" where 90 percent of the houses are occupied and not overly deteriorated, said D.K. Johnston, executive director of UCCDC.

"It’s more of a conservation program to conserve stable blocks," he noted.

The revamping receives part of its funding through a maximum base subsidy of $35,000 from the city, said Johnston. The corporation sought additional sources to fund the remaining project costs.

Prospective residents will make settlement on three of the four houses by month’s end. The Gladstone Street house endured some late structural issues and will be completed by the end of November, Johnston said.

The homes, purchased through real-estate agents on the open market, also are under warranty. Buyers can purchase houses that are comparable to the other residences on their blocks, said Johnston.

"These houses add to the stability of the block and increase the ratio of homeowners in the area," he said. "It also provides a wonderful opportunity for first-time buyers to be homeowners."

Since 1996, UCCDC has refurbished 24 houses in the area.

The Lofts at Bella Vista

The five-story building that once housed a printing facility for the Curtis Publishing Company will be reincarnated into lavish condominium residences.

Renamed The Lofts at Bella Vista, the imposing edifice at 1101 Washington Ave. will include 78 high-ceilinged units, ranging in price from $165,000 to $1 million (yes, you read it correctly).

The complex will contain rooftop villas as well as penthouse, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. When combined, the units will provide 40,000 square feet of living space.

A prime location with "undisturbed Center City views" makes the complex unique, said Petrina Wells, whose marketing group is handling promotion of The Lofts. The 18-foot ceilings also will be a draw, Wells added.

Though the building is located squarely in South Philadelphia, the Metro Development Company chose to label its new project’s location as "Center City" because, said Wells, that’s a more recognizable area.

Construction on the complex will be completed within a year, she said.

In the meantime, units are selling like hotcakes, with half of them already claimed. Among the new residents will be Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nate Wayne and running back Brian Westbrook, each of whom has snagged a space.

Quincy Court

An 18-year-old vacant lot at 18th and Christian streets soon will serve a nobler — and certainly more functional — purpose.

The corner parcel has been cleared to make way for the 11 townhouses of Quincy Court, a project funded and developed by Philadelphia Residential.

While the homes’ starting price was set at $399,000, high demand has increased the asking price of the remaining two units to $449,000.

"Most of them sold even before we broke ground," said Mike McCann, associate broker for Prudential Fox and Roach, the company handling sales of the properties.

Also accompanying the three-bedroom homes will be a gated courtyard and garages.

The homes are appealing to singles and couples in the 28-45 age bracket who enjoy the convenient location of the complex, said McCann.

"It’s in a desirable location, convenient to the heart of downtown," he said. "It’s also taking up a once-blighted corner and adding a nice development to this area."

Navy Yard

The Navy Yard’s master plan may have been unveiled only a month ago, but development already is moving full steam ahead.

Liberty Property Trust, one of the project’s financiers, has begun construction on its four-story office building in the site’s Corporate Center.

The building will be adjacent to the 3.5-acre Crescent Park, a recreational facility that will transform the site’s Broad Street entrance, said John Grady, senior vice president of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation. Park construction began last month.

AppTech Laboratory Services, whose building was one of the first to be completed in Research Park, soon will house more than 200 employees at its facility.

Inside the Historic Core, Barthco International recently finished an $8-million renovation of an existing building.

And more businesses are catching on, according to Grady.

"Developers and others want to understand the opportunities the Navy Yard has to offer," he said. "We’ve seen a very positive response since the unveiling of the master plan."