WRT and Pennrose teamed in this venture with the Dr. Magnus Hershfeld (dMH) Fund, a Philadelphia-based organization whose mission includes the promotion of senior services as well as youth programs for the LGBTQ community. The goal in this project was to provide affordable housing open to all low-income persons 62 years or older, but to do so in an environment that celebrates diversity and creates a setting where elders of the LGBTQ community can feel fully welcome and secure. The facility was only the second one in the nation with such focus.
The 56-unit, six-story complex is located in the core of Philadelphia’s dense and very vibrant Washington Square West neighborhood. Fronting on busy 13th Street where it abuts highrise neighbors, but also extending back to one of Philadelphia’s “littlest streets” revered for its charming residential character, the project presented very unique urban design and architectural challenges. All of the apartments are one-bedroom units, with supportive services provided by the building. The ground floor has 1,800 SF of commercial space, some of which is reserved for communal building purposes.
