John B. Rosenthal, 70; built affordable housing

John B. Rosenthal, 70, of Villanova, founder and chairman emeritus of Pennrose Properties and an innovative developer of affordable housing, died of prostate cancer Monday at Cabrini Medical Center in New York.

Mr. Rosenthal began his career working for housing developers in New York City. In 1981, he established Pennrose Properties in Philadelphia, teaming with nonprofit community organizations, municipalities, or private-sector investors to develop low-income housing. He was one of the first developers to use housing tax-credit programs.

His achievement was in rebuilding communities, said Pennrose chairman Richard K. Barnhart, who became a partner in 1984.

Pennrose has developed more than 10,000 affordable apartments in six states and the District of Columbia. Local projects include complexes in Germantown, Brewerytown, Camden, Trenton, and Chester and Delaware Counties. In 2003, Pennrose teamed with Kenny Gamble's nonprofit to build low-income housing at Martin Luther King Plaza in South Philadelphia.

Mr. Rosenthal preserved old buildings as well as building new. In 1990, his firm received the top award for construction from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's Bureau for Historic Preservation for the renovation of Regent Terrace in West Philadelphia, an abandoned complex of six three-story buildings that was home to a pack of wild dogs. Pennrose converted the complex into low-income housing for 80 families.

Mr. Rosenthal told a reporter at the time that his firm had restored the cornices, porches and stonework; repaired and refitted the globe light stanchions; and fumigated to get rid of fleas.

Also in West Philadelphia, Pennrose worked with the Parkside Historic Preservation Corp. in 2001 to rehab the Brentwood, a 43-unit brownstone.

In 2002, Mr. Rosenthal and his firm were corecipients of the F. Otto Haas Award for lifetime achievement from Preservation Pennsylvania, a nonprofit organization. That year, he received Ernst & Young's Greater Philadelphia entrepreneur of the year award. Pennrose also earned awards for renovated properties from the Landmarks Commission of Trenton and the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office.

Mr. Rosenthal served on the boards of Universal Community Homes, the Philadelphia Child Guidance Center, YouthBuild Philadelphia, and the Mayor's Office of Community Services. He was vice chairman of the Philadelphia District Council of the Urban Land Institute.

He was committed to the community, Barnhart said. In 1998, Pennrose renovated the People's Emergency Center, a homeless shelter in West Philadelphia. When a last-minute labor dispute threatened the project and Mr. Rosenthal funded its completion, center director Gloria Guard told him: "I told you God would find a way. What I didn't tell you was he would reach into your pocket."

A native of New York, Mr. Rosenthal earned a bachelor's degree from Williams College and a master's degree in business and a law degree from Cornell University.

He is survived by his wife, Linda Nickey Rosenthal; a brother, Richard; a sister, Susan; a nephew; and four nieces.

A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 W. 76th St., New York.

Memorial donations may be made to Friends of YouthBuild Philadelphia, 1231 N. Broad St., Philadelphia 19122.