By CatholicPhilly Staff • Posted September 19, 2024

Catholic Housing and Community Services (CHCS), a ministry of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, announced it has been selected as the $10,000 second prize winner of the To the Heights Award for its development of St. Katharine Drexel Place in Northeast Philadelphia.

Issued by the Church Properties Initiative, a project of the University of Notre Dame’s Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate, the award recognizes individuals, groups, or institutions that demonstrate creativity, vision, and resourcefulness in repurposing Catholic church properties to serve the common good, according to the announcement.

Located at 11051 Academy Road in Northeast Philadelphia, St. Katharine Drexel Place is adjacent to Archbishop Ryan High School and involves the substantial rehabilitation of the former three-story school friary building as well as the construction of a new three-story addition.

The new development will provide 48 one-bedroom units of affordable housing for income eligible seniors 62 and older and offer on-site supportive services including case management, health services, and recreational activities. The project is being designed by CBP Architects.

>>SEE RELATED: Archdiocese Awarded Funding for New Senior Housing in Northeast Phila.

“Our vision is to transform this former friary into a vibrant space that provides a safe, high-quality home for our aging neighbors, nurtures intergenerational programming, and preserves the history of the Archbishop Ryan High School community,” said Heather Huot, Secretary for archdiocesan Catholic Human Services.

“This recognition from the Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate affirms that St. Katharine Drexel Place is a model of innovative reuse of church property that maintains the church’s presence and meets the changing needs of the community,” she added.

Recipients were honored on Monday, Sept. 16 at the annual Church Properties Initiative conference. Listen to an acceptance message here from Suzanne O’Grady Laurito, CHCS Director, that was shared at the conference.