SteelTown Village Housing Development
Project Information
SteelTown Village Residential Development
This 3.2-acre property at 721 & 730 Wheatland Street in Phoenixville is owned by Petra Community Housing. The property was associated with a former manufacturing operation located across the street. One of the operations reportedly included a phenolic grinding wheel manufacturing business that began prior to 1946 and operated into the 1970s. Sandy grinding wheel manufacturing waste, containing arsenic, was disposed at the subject site and placed as fill and/or mixed with existing soils.
The property redevelopment began in April 2015. Petra Community Housing retained Isett for survey services, Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, and a site characterization, including hundreds of soil samples. Isett addressed Department of Environmental Protections (DEP) concerns regarding groundwater impacts with monitoring wells and a quarterly sampling program. Isett prepared a remedial action and soil management plan—arsenic impacts were addressed using residential state-wide health and site-specific standards. Through Isett’s efforts, both properties (721 & 730 Wheatland Street) secured an Act 2 Release of Liability.
With funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), Petra Community Housing developed the property into 48 units of workforce housing, ranging from 1-3 bedrooms; this three-story walkup features six Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliant homes.
