A view of Bartram Village from the south shows Bartram's Gardens and the Schuylkill River to the east, the Kingsessing neighborhood to the west, and hints of the area's industrial heritage to the north.

“We could not be more thrilled to be part of this effort in our backyard – working with community and local stakeholders to address issues of equity, poverty, changing demographics, access to the city’s open space assets and rethinking of riverfront land uses,” said Woo Kim, WRT principal. “We look forward to an inclusive and transparent two year planning process that will ultimately benefit the entire city.”

Bartram Village is one of only six projects nationwide to be awarded a Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) Planning and Action Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and one of only three to receive the CNI Action Grant. The $1.3 million grant, coupled with additional local leverage, will go toward a community-led plan and the implementation of small-scale Action Activities that will benefit the community in the short term. HUD's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative promotes a comprehensive approach to transforming neighborhoods struggling to address the complex challenges presented by a combination of distressed housing, inadequate schools, poor health, high crime, and lack of investment.

Follow along as we work with Bartram Village residents, community members and city stakeholders to bring this project to life.