PHILADELPHIA, PA, August 21, 2001 - Mayor John F. Street will join Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell and Neighborhood Restorations to conduct the official Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Historic Renovation of the former Oliver Wendell Holmes School - soon to be the Holmes School Senior Complex - on Tuesday, August 21, 2001. The school is located at 5429-55 Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia.

A real eyesore for two decades as an abandoned building, the school that holds so many childhood memories for local baby boomers will soon house 42 independent one-bedroom units for low to middle income seniors and approximately 10,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor.

Neighborhood Restorations has been a leader in affordable housing development in West Philadelphia, investing over $50 million of private funds in scatter sight renovations, exclusively. The Holmes School is their first publicly-subsidized housing development and was able to come to fruition due to their excellent reputation and past success.

Councilwoman Blackwell is proud to work hand in hand with Neighborhood Restorations in order to stabilize the east to west commercial corridors - Chestnut, Walnut and Market Streets - to help stimulate further development of the 52nd Street and 60th Street commercial districts. This strategy will prove that West Philadelphia is truly On the Move. Many may recall Councilwoman Blackwell's announcement of her plans to revitalize 52nd Street during the Ribbing Cutting Ceremony of Malcolm X Park back in June. The overall goal of course is to re-create attractive communities that residents can feel proud of and that future generations will call home.

Funding for the new Senior Complex was made possible through a half million dollar grant from the Commonwealth's Department of Community and Economic Development and the City's contribution of $2 million. Apollo Housing Capital also invested private funds.

The erection of the new complex will be done so with an entrenched partnership with local residents; not only were several community groups involved such as the Partnership CDC, 55th Street Block Committee and the Cobbs Creek Neighborhood Association, but construction is being managed by The Delta Organization, owned and operated by Walt Logan, one of the only minority general contractors in the City who has hired many local subcontractors.