Woven into the 200+ page final plan for Blossom at Bartram is a thoughtful and ambitious transportation plan for the Kingsessing neighborhood featuring upgraded accessible trolleys, complete street projects on commercial corridors, and trail access from Bartram’s Garden to Center City via the Schuylkill River Trail. Submitted in 2020, the project recently received a $50M federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to redevelop Bartram’s Village as part of the Neighborhood Choice grant. This grant will focus on updating the current Bartram Village that acts as an entrance to Bartram’s Garden along Lansdowne Avenue and is home to over 1,000 residents.
In a recent Philadelphia Tribune Article, Senator Casey’s office stated,
The grant will be used to rehabilitate and transform affordable housing at Bartram Village and to provide the investments to help to create a neighborhood that is vibrant, near services, public transportation, along with being safe and welcoming.
Housing is more than just a roof over your head, Casey said, it’s the place where well-being and community start.
“As the foundation of a neighborhood, housing determines whether businesses can thrive, the potential of future economic development, and the sense of community residents that feel,” Casey said. “Community leaders in Philadelphia have been working tirelessly for years to re-imagine Bartram Village into a neighborhood anchor where residents can live, work, and play in a vibrant and safe environment, and with this funding, they can make that vision a reality.”
We are excited to see more attention and federal dollars being brought into Kingsessing neighborhood. This plan focuses on connecting the existing community to green spaces, community gardens, safe transportation, and jobs. We look forward to supporting the next steps of the transportation plan including Trolley Modernization and the Schuylkill River Swing bridge. Stay tuned!