Southwest Philadelphia Mixed-Income Apartments: 64 Homes Nearing Completion at Bartram Village Phase One, 2639 S. 58th Street

Published October 24, 202617 min readBy VoucherMatch Editorial Team

Quick answerAs of October 7, 2026, the first phase of the new Bartram Village is under construction at 2639 S. 58th Street in Southwest Philadelphia: 64 apartments in five low buildings, built by Pennrose with the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Fifty-two are replacement homes with rent based on income, and families moved out of the old Bartram Village have a right to return. Twelve are planned at market rate. Applications are not open and no leasing page exists. In 2024 the developer put one-bedroom rents at $395 to $1,186 a month.

Last checked: October 7, 2026, against the City's zoning permit ZP-2023-010982 and five building permits (CP-2024-006494, 006497, 006499, 006500 and 006501) in its permit records, the City's affordable housing production record, the developer's design review packet of April 3, 2024, the Philadelphia Housing Authority's fiscal year 2027 plan, grant release of August 4, 2023, Unit Based Program page, payment standards (schedule effective November 1, 2025) and project-based rent schedule (effective October 1, 2026), and reports by WHYY (June 25, 2026) and The Philadelphia Inquirer (April 23, 2024). No leasing page exists yet.

Bartram Village phase one in numbers

64apartments in five buildings of two and three stories
52replacement homes, with rent based on income
12apartments planned at market rate, with no subsidy
$395 to $1,186the one-bedroom rents the developer gave in April 2024
1 to 4bedrooms in each apartment, on the design drawings
0.1 milesto the Route 36 trolley (T5) at Elmwood Avenue and 58th Street

Rendering of a low red brick community building with a sign reading Bartram Village at a street corner, with three-story apartment buildings behind it, flowering trees and people on a crosswalk — Rendering of the community building at Bartram Village phase one, 2639 S. 58th Street, from the design packet of April 2024. It shows the design, not the finished buildings. Photo: WRT, rendering, architect's rendering, via Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Civic Design Review (cropped).

What Bartram Village Phase One Is and Who Is Building It

It is the first 64 homes of the plan to replace Bartram Village, a 500-apartment public housing complex from 1942, built on a vacant lot just south of the old site while PHA relocated the old site's residents.

Names: "Bartram Village I" in the City's record and the design packet; "Bartram Village Phase 1" and "Bartram I" in the housing authority's plan. The sign in the architect's rendering reads Bartram Village.
Address: 2639 S. 58th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143. The design packet shows a new street through the site from 57th Street to 58th Street.
Developer: Pennrose PHL LLC, with the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). The packet lists the property owner in 2024 as PAID, the City's industrial development authority.
Architect and builder: WRT; T&M Associates filed the zoning permit; Domus, Inc. is the contractor on all five building permits.
How it is built: the permits say each building uses modular construction.
Program: PHA's plan says the phase has a 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit award and closed its financing in fiscal year 2026. It is part of a redevelopment backed by a $50 million federal Choice Neighborhoods grant awarded in 2023.
Cost of the whole plan: about $336 million in PHA's plan; $425 million in WHYY's report.

Apartments in each building at 2639 S. 58th Street, number of apartments

Building 1, three stories

Building 2, three stories

Building 3, three stories

Building 4, three stories

Building 5, two stories, with the community center

View the data table

Building	Apartments
Building 1, three stories	14
Building 2, three stories	15
Building 3, three stories	13
Building 4, three stories	17
Building 5, two stories, with the community center	5

What it means: the five permits add up to 64 apartments, the number in the design packet, The Inquirer and WHYY.

Source: City of Philadelphia building permits CP-2024-006494, CP-2024-006497, CP-2024-006499, CP-2024-006500 and CP-2024-006501, all issued June 4, 2025.

2639 S. 58th Street, from grant to construction

August 4, 2023PHA announces the $50 million Choice Neighborhoods grant.
April 23, 2024PHA and Pennrose show the first phase. The Inquirer reports they hope "to break ground by the end of the year".
May 7, 2024the City's Civic Design Review committee takes up the design.
October 21, 2024the City issues the zoning permit for five structures.
June 4, 2025the City issues the five building permits.
2025the last tenant leaves the old Bartram Village, WHYY reports.
June 25, 2026WHYY reports that work on the first phase "nears completion".
October 5 and 6, 2026the City issues fire suppression and mechanical permits, the latest on the lot.

What it means: the buildings were still being fitted out in October 2026, and no opening date has been published.

Source: City of Philadelphia permit records for 2639 S. 58th Street; PHA release of August 4, 2023; The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 23, 2024; WHYY, June 25, 2026.

Rendering of a row of three-story buildings in red brick and white panels with brightly colored front doors along a new street, with flowering trees, a cyclist and people on the sidewalk — Rendering of the three-story buildings along the new street, each ground-floor home with its own front door. Photo: WRT, rendering, architect's rendering, via Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Civic Design Review (cropped).

Where 2639 S. 58th Street Is

The site is on S. 58th Street south of the old Bartram Village, in Southwest Philadelphia, in ZIP code 19143 and City Council District 3.

Where the buildings sit

19143the ZIP code on the permits and the design packet
District 3the City Council district, whose member is Jamie Gauthier
Group 2PHA's payment-standard group for this ZIP code
About 2.9 acresthe size of the site in the design packet
36parking spaces in the design packet, for 64 apartments

Neighborhood name: The Inquirer and WHYY say Southwest Philadelphia. PHA's grant release calls the area "the Kingsessing/Bartram Village neighborhood".
The old site: WHYY describes a 22-acre property along Lindbergh Boulevard next to Bartram's Garden, with 44 brick buildings that have stood empty since 2025.
Apartments nearby: see voucher apartments in Kingsessing, Elmwood and Eastwick.

Drawn site plan showing four long buildings and one smaller building along a curving new street, with street trees, a playground and a parking lot at the bottom — The architect's site plan: four apartment buildings and the smaller community building along a new street between 57th and 58th streets, with parking along the street and in a lot. Photo: WRT, drawing, architect's drawing, via Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Civic Design Review (placed on a white canvas).

What the Rent Will Be and Who Qualifies

Most apartments here will have rent based on income, a dozen will be priced at market rate, and the only rent figures on record are two years old.

How the 64 apartments are split, number of apartments

Replacement homes, rent based on income

Market rate, no subsidy

View the data table

Kind of apartment	Apartments
Replacement homes, rent based on income	52
Market rate, no subsidy	12

What it means: 52 and 12 make the 64 on the permits. A second table in PHA's plan lists "Bartram I" with 64 project-based units, which would cover every apartment.

Source: PHA's fiscal year 2027 plan, which lists "Bartram Village Phase 1" with 52 units under the Rental Assistance Demonstration; the City's housing record, which counts 52 units; The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 23, 2024, which reports that "12 will be rented at market-rate".

One-bedroom rents planned at Bartram Village phase one in 2024 against two 2026 benchmarks for ZIP code 19143, dollars a month

Planned rent, April 2024PHA payment standard, Group 2HUD fair market rent, ZIP 19143

Lowest one-bedroom

$395

$1,390

$1,440

Highest one-bedroom

$1,186

$1,390

$1,440

View the data table

Rent	Planned rent, April 2024	PHA payment standard, Group 2	HUD fair market rent, ZIP 19143
Lowest one-bedroom	$395	$1,390	$1,440
Highest one-bedroom	$1,186	$1,390	$1,440

What it means: the planned figures are from two years before opening and may have changed. As given, the highest one-bedroom was $204 under PHA's standard and $254 under HUD's figure for the ZIP code.

Source: planned rents from The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 23, 2024, quoting Pennrose; payment standard from PHA's schedule effective November 1, 2025; HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents for fiscal year 2027.

Key pointThe Inquirer reports that "tenants in subsidized units would pay a third of their income in rents." For those 52 apartments the dollar figures above do not apply.

Sizes: the design drawings show one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. The number of each is not published.
Income levels: Pennrose told The Inquirer it would "mix in various income tiering within the affordable housing units". The tiers are not published.
Who the replacement homes are for: The Inquirer reports that PHA "will ensure that current residents have a right to return to the redeveloped project". WHYY repeats it in 2026.
Minimum income, deposit and utilities: not published.

Do You Need a Voucher, and Can You Use One Here?

For the 52 replacement homes you will not need a voucher, because PHA attaches the assistance to the apartment; for the 12 market-rate apartments a voucher would be measured against PHA's payment standard.

How PHA says project-based apartments work

The assistance belongs to the apartment"Under the UBV Program, the rental assistance is attached to the unit. If the family moves from the unit, the housing assistance remains with the unit."
What tenants pay"UBV Program tenants pay between to 26-30% of their adjusted income for rent based on their family size or specific UBV program." On $1,500 a month of adjusted income, that is $390 to $450.
Who screens youthe owner first. Then "the family is referred to PHA for eligibility screening for the HCV program, including income eligibility."
Income limit"The income limit is 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI) as established by HUD annually."
In PHA's plan"Bartram Village Phase 1", 52 units, "Conversion of existing public housing development"; and "Bartram I", 64, "New construction sponsored by Pennrose".

What it means: these 52 homes replace public housing apartments at the old site, and the families who lived there have the first claim on them.

Source: PHA, Unit Based Program overview, read October 7, 2026, and PHA's fiscal year 2027 plan, Amendment 1. UBV is PHA's name for project-based vouchers.

Three rent ceilings for ZIP code 19143 by apartment size, dollars a month

PHA project-based rent, citywidePHA payment standard, Group 2HUD fair market rent, ZIP 19143

One-bedroom

$1,558

$1,390

$1,440

Two-bedroom

$1,860

$1,660

$1,720

Three-bedroom

$2,216

$1,990

$2,050

Four-bedroom

$2,445

$2,220

$2,260

View the data table

Size	PHA project-based rent, citywide	PHA payment standard, Group 2	HUD fair market rent, ZIP 19143
One-bedroom	$1,558	$1,390	$1,440
Two-bedroom	$1,860	$1,660	$1,720
Three-bedroom	$2,216	$1,990	$2,050
Four-bedroom	$2,445	$2,220	$2,260

What it means: for a market-rate apartment here, the middle column is the most PHA counts toward rent and utilities for a tenant who brings a voucher.

Source: PHA's citywide fair market rents for project-based units, effective October 1, 2026; PHA's payment standard schedule effective November 1, 2025, which puts ZIP code 19143 in Group 2; HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents for fiscal year 2027. None of these is what a tenant pays.

A voucher holder cannot be turned away for holding one. Federal tax credit law bars an owner from refusing a voucher holder "because of the status of the prospective tenant as such a holder", and Philadelphia's Fair Practices Ordinance counts the voucher program as a protected source of income.
More on the numbers: see how much Section 8 pays in Philadelphia, how the utility allowance works and the Philadelphia Housing Authority page.

How the Rent Compares With Rents in ZIP Code 19143

HUD estimates an ordinary one-bedroom in ZIP code 19143 at $1,440 a month and a three-bedroom at $2,050, and most households here will pay a share of income instead.

An example: on $1,500 a month of adjusted income, PHA's 26% to 30% is $390 to $450, under a third of HUD's one-bedroom figure for the ZIP code.
The market-rate apartments: The Inquirer reports Pennrose's view that market-rate rents in this part of Southwest Philadelphia are much lower than in Kingsessing or Cedar Park to the north. No 2026 figure is published.
Rent data for this ZIP code: see Section 8 rent limits for 19143 and voucher apartments in 19143.

Who Gets Priority, Building Features and Transit

Families relocated from the old Bartram Village come first for the replacement homes; nothing is published about how the other apartments will be filled.

Priority on record

Right to returnWHYY reports that "residents relocated from Bartram Village will have a right to return to the site."
Relocated familiesPHA's plan funds "Place-based case management for relocated and any returning families".
Everyone elseno waiting list, preference or application route is published.
Accessible apartmentsthe City's record counts 8 accessible apartments and 3 for people with hearing or vision loss among the 52 it lists, and marks all 52 as visitable.
Agenone. The apartments run to four bedrooms.

Source: WHYY, June 25, 2026; PHA's fiscal year 2027 plan; City of Philadelphia affordable housing production record.

On the site, and what is not stated

Buildingsfour three-story buildings and one two-story building, on the permits.
Shared spacesa community center in Building 5, a management suite and a workshop, on the design drawings.
Outdoors"an outdoor playground area" and a plaza, in the design packet.
Parking36 spaces in the design packet, on the new street and in a lot.
Doorsthe renderings show a front door at the sidewalk for ground-floor homes.
Not statedapartment sizes in square feet, laundry, air conditioning, pets, and which utilities a tenant pays.

What it means: 36 spaces for 64 apartments means not every household gets one.

Source: design review packet by WRT for Pennrose PHL LLC, April 3, 2024; building permits issued June 4, 2025. A rendering shows a design, not the finished buildings.

Two white SEPTA trolleys with red and blue stripes at a low platform, one showing the route number 36, beside a stop sign and a small shelter — Route 36 trolleys at the Eastwick Loop, the end of the line, in June 2010. The route stops at Elmwood Avenue and 58th Street, about 0.1 miles from the site. Photo: DanTD, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).

Stop or station	Line	Straight-line distance
Elmwood Avenue and 58th Street	Route 36 trolley (T5)	about 0.1 miles
61st Street and Eastwick Avenue	Route 37 bus	about 0.3 miles
62nd Street and Buist Avenue	Route 63 bus	about 0.4 miles
Woodland Avenue and 58th Street	Route 11 trolley (T4)	about 0.5 miles
49th Street	Regional Rail, Media/Wawa Line	about 1.1 miles

What it means: the Route 36 trolley to Center City stops a short walk away; the nearest train station is more than a mile off. See also apartments near the Route 36 trolley.

Source: stop and station coordinates from SEPTA's open data (summer 2026 bus and trolley stops, station layers); distances calculated by VoucherMatch in a straight line from 2639 S. 58th Street, so the walk is longer.

How to Apply for Bartram Village Phase One

You cannot apply yet: the buildings are not finished, and neither Pennrose nor PHA has published an application, a waiting list or a leasing contact.

What a renter can do before leasing opens

1If you lived at Bartram Villageyou have a right to return. Keep your contact details current with PHA and your case manager, and ask when phase one will be offered.
2If you did notwatch for a leasing page. Pennrose lists the buildings it is leasing on its apartments page; Bartram Village was not on it on October 7, 2026.
3Decide which kind of apartment you would ask forone with rent based on income, or one of the 12 at market rate.
4Know your bedroom sizePHA says owners of project-based apartments select by "the bedroom size required by the family".
5Keep looking elsewhereno opening date is published.

What happens between now and move-in

Construction finishesWHYY reported the phase "nears completion" in June 2026; permits were still being issued in October 2026.
Returning families are offered homesthe order and the date are not published.
Leasing opens for other apartmentsno date is published.
Screeningfor project-based apartments the owner screens first, then PHA.
The old sitedemolition was due to start in July 2026, and 514 more homes are planned there in later phases.

What it means: returning families come first for the 52 replacement homes, and how the other apartments will be offered is not published.

Source: WHYY, June 25, 2026; City of Philadelphia permit records; PHA's Unit Based Program page.

What to have ready when leasing opens

Photo ID and Social Security card. for each adult
Birth certificates. for each child
Proof of income. pay stubs, a benefits letter or last year's tax return
Household list. names and dates of birth of everyone who will live with you
If you were relocated from Bartram Village. your PHA relocation paperwork

Source: this list is VoucherMatch's. No document list has been published.

Watch outnobody has announced that applications are open. Philadelphia law caps a background or credit check fee at its actual cost or $50, whichever is less, and allows one fee per applicant in 12 months.

What Is Known and What Is Not Yet Published

The permits settle the number of buildings and apartments, and PHA's plan settles that most are replacement homes; almost nothing about leasing is published.

Known and not yet known, as of October 7, 2026

Known64 apartments in five modular buildings at 2639 S. 58th Street, under construction since 2025.
Known52 replacement homes with rent based on income; 12 apartments planned at market rate.
Knownfamilies relocated from the old Bartram Village have a right to return.
Figures that differ52 units in the City's record and one PHA table against 64 in the permits and another PHA table; 12 market-rate apartments in The Inquirer's count against "10 to 12" in the developer's words; a whole-plan cost of $336 million or $425 million; 608 homes in PHA's 2023 release against 688 in its plan and WHYY.
Not publishedthe number of apartments of each size, the income tiers and any 2026 rent.
Not publishedthe manager, the application route and the opening date.
Not publishedhow many replacement homes returning families will take.

If You Need an Apartment Sooner

Nothing at Bartram Village phase one can be rented yet, so look at what is open now.

1 bedroom apartment in Paschall, Outside NYC — Philadelphia apartments on VoucherMatch that take vouchers, nearest to Bartram Village phase one first

3 bedrooms apartment in Paschall, Outside NYC — Philadelphia apartments on VoucherMatch that take vouchers, nearest to Bartram Village phase one first

Voucher in hand: browse Section 8 apartments in Philadelphia, or go to three-bedrooms and four-bedrooms.
No voucher yet: read the Philadelphia Section 8 guide and check which waiting lists are open.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bartram Village phase one taking applications?

No. As of October 7, 2026 the buildings were still under construction, and neither Pennrose nor PHA had published an application, a waiting list or a leasing contact.

How much will rent be at the new Bartram Village?

For 52 replacement homes, rent is based on income. In April 2024 Pennrose told The Inquirer that one-bedrooms would run from $395 to $1,186 a month. No 2026 rent has been published.

Will the new Bartram Village take Section 8?

The 52 replacement homes carry their own project-based assistance. For the 12 market-rate apartments, Philadelphia law bars refusing a tenant for holding a voucher, and PHA's payment standard for a one-bedroom in ZIP code 19143 is $1,390.

Can former Bartram Village residents move back?

Yes. WHYY and The Inquirer both report that residents relocated from Bartram Village have a right to return. The date phase one will be offered to them is not published.

When will Bartram Village phase one open?

No date is published. WHYY reported in June 2026 that work on the first phase "nears completion", and the City was still issuing permits for the buildings on October 5 and 6, 2026.

Who is building the new Bartram Village?

Pennrose, with the Philadelphia Housing Authority. WRT is the architect and Domus, Inc. the contractor. The buildings use modular construction, according to the permits.

Is Bartram Village phase one on the old Bartram Village site?

No. It is on a vacant lot just south of it, at 2639 S. 58th Street. The old 22-acre site along Lindbergh Boulevard is being demolished, and 514 more homes are planned there.

How many homes will the new Bartram Village have in all?

PHA's plan says about 688 rental and homeownership units on and off the site, replacing 500 old ones. Phase one is 64 of them.

Sources for this article (12)

permit records (opendataphilly.org)
affordable housing production record (opendataphilly.org)
design review packet (phila.gov)
fiscal year 2027 plan (pha.phila.gov)
grant release (pha.phila.gov)
Unit Based Program page (pha.phila.gov)
payment standards (pha.phila.gov)
project-based rent schedule (pha.phila.gov)
WHYY (whyy.org)
The Philadelphia Inquirer (inquirer.com)
Small Area Fair Market Rents (huduser.gov)
apartments page (pennrose.com)

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Every rule, date and dollar amount in this article is checked against the agency document it comes from, and the sources are listed above. How VoucherMatch articles are researched and corrected