{"id":1265,"date":"2026-06-19T14:14:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T14:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=1265"},"modified":"2026-06-19T14:14:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T14:14:40","slug":"mayor-parker-declares-public-safety-emergency-at-bartram-village-after-squatters-cause-major-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=1265","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Parker declares public safety emergency at Bartram Village after squatters cause major damage"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<div><audio><\/audio><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has declared a public safety emergency at Bartram Village, a vacant Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) complex in Southwest Philadelphia, after squatters moved in and caused extensive damage. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=1263\">The Buttery\u2019s newest outpost is opening in Bryn Mawr this weekend<\/a><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>This official declaration by the mayor will clear regulatory hurdles to PHA\u2019s ability to rapidly demolish the 45 buildings, where the last tenant moved out in 2025. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cFor too long, these vacant buildings have posed serious safety risks to surrounding residents and the broader community,\u201d Parker said in a statement Thursday. \u201cThis action clears the way to remove those hazards and replace them with new housing, new opportunity, and new investment.\u201d <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Bartram Village dates to the Second World War, when it was built to host defense workers during the industrial boom that accompanied the conflict. The site was later transitioned to the traditional public housing program, providing affordable apartments for up to 500 households. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>The complex is among the oldest in PHA\u2019s system. As federal funding for public housing declined precipitously in recent decades, the agency struggled to keep up with the maintenance of the aging structures. At the same time, drug dealing and other crime increased at Bartram Village. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>PHA has been planning a probable demolition for a major redevelopment since at least 2018 when it was estimated the buildings required repairs reaching almost $200 million in today\u2019s dollars. Former residents would have a right to one of the 688 new units planned there.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>But after tenants were moved out, the 22-acre site attracted squatters despite PHA\u2019s security patrols in the area. Beyond occupying the space, squatters tore copper wiring from the buildings and damaged the popular neighboring park and historic site of Bartram\u2019s Garden.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe boarded it up, it was secured, and almost immediately we realized that folks were penetrating those areas in the back and coming in through Bartram\u2019s Garden,\u201d said Kelvin Jeremiah, president of the housing authority. \u201cBut because of the size \u2026 it became a real issue. The more we removed people, the more they came in.\u201d<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Councilmember Jamie Gauthier\u2019s office began raising the alarm in February about the state of Bartram Village. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=1260\">The 1966 day in the other Philadelphia that showcased the greatness of Martin Luther King Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI warned that failing to act quickly would [exacerbate] safety issues and cost taxpayers\u2019 money,\u201d Gauthier said. \u201cThe buildings became hotspots for squatters and provided cover for inflicting over half a million dollars of damage to Bartram\u2019s Garden.\u201d<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Jeremiah said the housing authority couldn\u2019t move to demolish the buildings immediately because Bartram Village is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The PHA couldn\u2019t act unless the mayor declared a public safety emergency. The buildings are not protected by local preservation regulations.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Following Parker\u2019s actions Thursday, \u201cwe are now prepared to move forward on an expedited basis to have the site demolished,\u201d Jeremiah said. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>PHA plans nine apartment buildings and over 150 townhouses for the Bartram Village site, supported in part by a $50 million grant from the federal government. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>It is a major part of Jeremiah\u2019s aggressive plan to renovate all of the authority\u2019s existing holdings while building 3,000 new units and buying at least 4,000 units from the private sector. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>The Bartram Village redevelopment has taken a long time to get started, both due to tenant relocations and the federally mandated delay in demolition.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cSouthwest Philadelphians have waited far too long for promised improvements at Bartram Village,\u201d said Gauthier, who represents the area.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m glad that Mayor Parker took the important step today of signing a public safety declaration giving PHA permission to demolish existing structures because they have been causing unsafe conditions to the community for a very long time,\u201d Gauthier said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=1258\">30 (and more) must-watch concerts coming to the Philly area this summer<\/a><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The mayor&#8217;s actions are meant to get around federal regulations that would delay demolition and impede redevelopment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-housing","category-real-estate"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - 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