Cloisters I & II
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Leasing Information

Description

• Adaptive reuse of abandoned nineteenth century Roman Catholic Church, rectory, annex, and school
• Phase I - 45 apartments   affordable for families placed in service in 1993
• Phase II - 65 apartments, affordable for families and seniors in two buildings placed in service in 1993

Developer
Pennrose Properties

Architect
Schwam Architects
Elkins Park, PA

General Contractor
Delran Builders Co., Inc.
Wyndmoor, PA

Management
Pennrose Management Company

The Challenge

Lippincott's 1887 edition of Philadelphia and Its Environs described the Powelton neighborhood as containing "a multitude of pretty residences of moderate cost [and] some of the handsomest and most expensive mansions in the city." Indeed, at the turn of the century after 50 years of development, Powelton Village was one of the most impressive of the city's neighborhoods, both for its architecture and its economic and social diversity.   At 38 th and Spring Garden Streets, St. Agatha's Roman Catholic Church testifies to this.   Dedicated on October 20, 1878,   its soaring central bell tower, massive brownstone sanctuary, and medieval Gothic styling had been designed by one of Pennsylvania's most prolific ecclesiastical architects Edwin Forrest Durang.   A century later as the strength of the neighborhood waned, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was compelled to shutter St. Agatha's complex, which included an adjacent parish house by P. W. Welsh (1891) and a parish school by Durang (1917).   Laying vacant for a decade, rehabilitation began but was not completed before the initial developer went bankrupt and the property became an asset of the Resolution Trust Corporation.   In 1991, Pennrose resolved through a very complicated legal process all ownership issues, assembled a viable financial plan, and developed an adaptive reuse of the property that would serve the new needs of a community in transition.   

The Solution

Intent upon rehabilitating this resplendent icon and thereby jump-starting the neighborhood's rejuvenation, the Pennrose Development Team marshaled financial resources including LIHTC equity. In the design process, the team remained sensitive to the architectural complexity of the property, seeking as much as possible to maintain the footprint and character of the original buildings.   The units were innovatively implanted within the original walls.     In Phase I the parish school was reconfigured into 45 one and two bedroom truly unique apartments affordable for families.   Phase II created another 65 units also affordable for families.   Located in proximity to the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, the Cloisters is operated as a conventional apartment complex appealing to a younger population.   Its apartments include features not typically seen in affordable homes, such as   spiral staircases, skylights, sun rooms, and spacious living and dining rooms.     

Cloisters I and II underscores the Pennrose Development Team's expertise in innovatively adapting architectural masterpieces for new uses.   Completed in 1993, the Cloisters is owned, managed,   and maintained by Pennrose.

< Back to Adaptive Reuse Properties
< Back to Pennsylvania Properties