Could Philly’s Logan Triangle transform into a hub for modular homes? Mayor Parker hopes so

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On a frigid afternoon last month, Mayor Cherelle Parker huddled with residents and union leaders on a large, portable stage near the edge of the Logan Triangle. With help from the group of supporters, she told reporters she would push to bring a modular home factory to the infamous site, where development proposals had so far failed.

A day earlier, the city had begun soliciting information from industry experts as part of a broader effort to create new homes and manufacturing jobs in the city.

“We are all moving in a unified way to attempt to do what has never been done in the city of Philadelphia before. And that is to create a manufacturing hub for housing,” Parker said.

The mayor’s announcement was welcome news to community stakeholders in Logan. The triangle has remained vacant for decades, a 35-acre scar left behind after the city took the extraordinary step of demolishing nearly 1,000 homes that were hopelessly sinking into the unstable soil beneath them.

The mayor’s announcement was a signal that she wants to change that legacy.

“It feels like hope for our area,” ward leader Sherita Glenn said. “It seems like we’re gonna get some help.”

The optimism, however, is cautious.

Despite several planning studies, countless community meetings and at least four development proposals, the land has remained undeveloped, largely because building on it would likely require expensive environmental remediation.

The city last tried selling the site in 2023. The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, which owns the land, received a proposal from a national company specializing in social impact projects. But the agency ultimately decided not to move forward. A spokesperson declined to say why.

That effort came after the Goldenberg Group, a regional developer, walked away from a nearly decadelong effort to build a recreation center with a library and a computer lab on the site. Neighbors say members of the development team told them the company was unable to secure enough funding for the project.

Despite that history of setbacks, community activist Ernie Bristow is trying to stay positive when it comes to Parker’s proposal. She likes the idea. And yet the history of the triangle still tugs at her heart.

“We get so close, we get right there and then we get it snatched away from us,” said Bristow, who has lived in Logan for nearly 40 years.

A ‘shining star’ for the modular home industry

For now, it’s unclear when the redevelopment authority might release a request for proposals tied to Parker’s vision — or if any companies will be interested in setting up shop in the city.

Pennsylvania is no stranger to the modular home industry, however. About a dozen factories are currently operating in the state, including one run by Philadelphia-based Volumetric Building Companies.

“There’s probably more of them in Pennsylvania than anywhere else in the country,” said Devin Perry with the National Association of Home Builders.

They are located in rural parts of the state, and many operate out of pre-existing industrial facilities capable of holding a modular home factory.

Bringing a set of factories to an urban setting like Philadelphia is not prohibitive, but those sites would certainly be outliers in the state, said Perry. And the cost of building a new facility could influence which companies would respond to any RFP the redevelopment authority releases.

Parker said last month that she envisions up to five factories being built on underutilized sites in the city, including the triangle and locations where “persistently” vacant school buildings now stand. For now, it’s unclear whether any of those structures could be converted or if they would need to be demolished to make way for factories.

“In a perfect world, you go ground up, because you can build the facility to meet your needs,” said Perry. “But if you can avoid having to build the manufacturing facility from the ground up, it’s a cost savings.”

Housing developer Mohamed Rushdy, former president of the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, said bringing one of these factories to the Logan Triangle is far from a pipe dream.

Right now, about half of the site is suitable for redevelopment. A residential development would likely require extensive environmental remediation, but one of these facilities could potentially be built on a section of the site that has sturdier soil.

“Any kind of environmental cleanup is going to be more minimal compared to residential uses,” said Rushdy, who runs the Riverwards Group.

The triangle is also ideally located for transporting modular homes. The site is bordered by Roosevelt Boulevard, which cuts through a large swath of the city and connects to the Schuylkill and Vine Street expressways, as well as I-95.

Cautiously optimistic about redevelopment

Parker wants to use the proposed factories to increase the city’s supply of affordable housing. The effort would be considered part of the Housing Opportunities Made Easy, or H.O.M.E., initiative. The multifaceted plan is rooted in preserving and building 30,000 units of housing.

The main advantage with modular homes is that they can be built quickly.

Generally, the lion’s share of the work, including all the flooring and fixtures, is completed at the factory before the structure is assembled on site. And because these factories are controlled environments, there are no weather limitations, and there is no need to adhere to noise ordinances relevant to traditional outdoor construction projects. That means these facilities can typically operate around the clock.

They would also bring manufacturing jobs to the city, some of which could go to Logan residents.

For Glenn and Bristow, that prospect is a big deal — something that could help restore and revitalize the working-class neighborhood.

“We have nowhere to go but up from here,” said Glenn.

Eric Brice with the Logan Civic Association said he feels the same way and plans to follow Parker’s proposal, which he said has real merit.

But like Bristow, he wants to keep his enthusiasm in check to avoid being disappointed if the mayor’s plan never becomes a reality. So he’s maintaining a bit of distance, too.

“I’ll believe it when they start breaking ground and have the little shovel ceremony that they have for those things,” Brice said.