Church hopes student housing development will fuel retail, charter projects

    There are new developments planned for Temple University’s North Philadelphia campus, and while some target Temple students, the project is being led not by the university, but instead by a nearby church and a development group.

    Bright Hope Baptist Church and the Goldenberg Group have plans for the former John Wanamaker Middle School building at 12th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue.
    They’re plotting space for a dorm with retail shops, a charter school and other housing, The Temple News reports.

    And the hope is that the student housing, aside from keeping Temple kids from renting in adjacent neighborhoods, will spur interest and funding for the other projects. The university is not involved with the student housing plans.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal