Groveton Village
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania

Description

• Demolition of 100 units of WWII public housing
• New construction of 60 town homes affordable for families
• One, two, three and four-bedroom units
• Placed in service 2003

Developer
Pennrose Properties
Ralph Falbo, Inc.

Architect
Perfido Weiskopf Architects
Pittsburgh, PA

General Contractor
Mistick Construction
Pittsburgh, PA

Management
Allegheny County Housing Authority

The Challenge

According to the 1990 census, six of the eight poorest census tracts in Pennsylvania were public housing communities in Pittsburgh. One of these was Groveton Village, a 100-unit, barracks-style, public housing project . Built in 1942 to temporarily house Department of Defense workers imported for wartime production in the city's then-booming steel mills, it eventually became a part of the 1990s public housing crisis. It reflected an accelerating socioeconomic crisis for poor African-Americans living in isolation in Pittsburgh. Groveton Village’s units had deteriorated to the point where they were both physically and socially obsolete and undesirable. In an effort to dramatically improve its affordable housing stock, The Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA) selected Pennrose Falbo, through a competitive bid process, to redevelop this unusually-shaped site with a myriad of Robinson Township zoning requirements.

The Solution

To implement the redevelopment of Groveton Village, The Development Team utilized a number of revenue sources including among others LIHTC equity, the FHLB/AHP, and ACHA Comprehensive Grant Program funds. The 7.6 acre site was razed and a completely new infrastructure of streets, sidewalks, storm water retention basins, underground utilities, landscaping, and street lighting was built. To achieve a sustainable community that would be attractive for residents the design team significantly reduced the density of the neighborhood from 100 units to 60 of which 5% were adapted for persons with disabilities. Each home included a fully equipped kitchen, one-and one-half or two baths, cable and laundry hook-ups, ample storage, and central air conditioning. With porches, grass yards, and a community room residents are drawn together in a cohesive neighborhood where they feel connected. In addition to establishing convenience to public transportation, the development has 184 on-site parking spaces.

The redevelopment of Groveton Village underscores the development team’s expertise in creating very desirable master- planned communities that meet the needs of community stakeholders. In working closely with both the Housing Authority and the township in which the community resides, we forged an on-time, on-budget, positive outcome for all concerned.

< Back to Family Affordable
< Pennsylvania Properties