PHILADELPHIA, JUNE 17, 2010— Demolition planning for the vacant Liddonfield Homes in Northeast Philadelphia has officially begun, according to state Sen. Mike Stack and Rep. Mike McGeehan.

A Notice to Proceed, which is a legal notification to the winning bidder to begin preparing for demolition, was issued on June 3, according to the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). The winning bidder is a joint venture of Shoemaker/Syntera.

“Liddonfield has been a community eyesore for too long, and the residents will finally get to see this project move forward,” Stack said. “We’ve been waiting nearly four years for real renovations to take place, and the demolition is the first step in a new beginning for the site and the entire community.”

The demolition design phase began this week and demolition activities will commence at the end of August and continue for seven months, an official from PHA said.

“My office has received numerous complaints from residents about the deteriorating state of Liddonfield,” McGeehan said. “I’m pleased that we can finally say when things will change and provide a timetable of the demolition process.”

Stack and McGeehan, along with City Councilwoman Joan Krajewski and U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, have been following the demolition process to make sure it stays on track while maintaining an open line of communication and information with the community.

The renovation of the low-income housing site, located at 8800 Jackson Drive in the Upper Holmesburg neighborhood, was first announced in August, 2006. However, the project was delayed due to the U.S. Department of Urban Development’s (HUD) failure to approve Demolition of Phase I and Phase II of the project. The HUD approval was granted in October, 2009.

Stack and McGeehan worked with Governor Ed Rendell to secure $3.5 million in state Capital Budget funding four years ago to redevelop the property and have been active in monitoring its progress over the past four years.

Liddonfield Homes were originally built as World War II military barracks in the 1940s, but were used as low-income housing for the past 50 years and fell into disrepair.

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