Another Significant Step in Esperanza’s Ongoing Transformation of Hunting Park
Philadelphia, PA – October 6, 2017. Esperanza is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony at the former Roberto Clemente Middle School building (3921-61 North 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140) at 1:00 pm on Friday, October 13th. The ceremony, which will take place in front of the building on North 5th Street, will celebrate the beginning of construction to convert the structure into Roberto Clemente Homes, 38 units of affordable rental housing and 5,000 square feet of new commercial space.
Speakers will include Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney; Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez; State Representative Angel Cruz; Brian Hudson, Executive Director and CEO of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency; Kelvin Jeremiah, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Housing Authority; Kafi Lindsay, Vice President and Market Manager of PNC Bank; Beryl Barmore, Regional CRA Officer of M&T Bank; and John Bendel, Director of Community Investment for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh. The event will be open to the press.
“We are incredibly excited to continue the process of transforming the former Roberto Clemente building into a space that will benefit us in Hunting Park,” said Rev. Luis Cortés, Jr., Founder, President and CEO of Esperanza. “For so many years, the building was not only a safety hazard, but an ugly and discouraging presence in our community. My hope is this project of transformation and renewal will be indicative of the broader work that Esperanza is doing in Hunting Park to create new opportunities and a better standard of living for our neighbors.”
Esperanza is grateful to the many partners who have collaborated with us on this project, including the City of Philadelphia – Division of Housing and Community Development, Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, M&T Bank, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, Philadelphia Housing Authority, the Philadelphia Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, PNC Bank, the Reinvestment Fund, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. We look forward to celebrating our accomplishments together.
Download official Press Release here.