45 affordable apartments for artists on Broad Street will be partly funded by Knight Foundation
A $2.5 million grant will go toward affordable housing and support for artists at The Village of Industry & Art.
Affordable artist apartments will be coming to South Broad Street next year after the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation awarded a $2.5 million grant to the development company that promises to turn former University of the Arts dorms into low-priced housing.
Lindsey Scannapieco’s company Scout acquired Hamilton Hall, facing Broad Street, and the accompanying Frank Furness-designed former dormitory that front on 15th Street in early 2025 after the surprise bankruptcy and closure of the University of the Arts.
Scout has renamed the combined complex as the Village of Industry & Art. The company is most known for its redevelopment of a former South Philly public school into a warren of artist studios, small businesses, and eateries, now known as the Bok Building.
Scannapieco has long promised 45 affordable artist apartments for the former dormitory space, and the Knight Foundation grant provided the final funding to move forward.
“We have the rest of the funding in place, so this was really about bridging the gap that was required to make this happen,” Scannapieco said.
She also noted that the project’s affordability would be deed-restricted, locking it in place for the long term.
“We have a deep commitment now that regardless of what happens to me or my team, this will be affordable housing for artists and cultural workers,” Scannapieco said.
Scout plans for 35 of the units to be long-term rentals for artists who make between 60% and 80% of area median income, or between $50,000 and almost $67,000 for a one-person household.
Ten of the units will be furnished and are slated for visiting artists conducting short-term residencies in Philadelphia.
The apartments range in size from the smallest at a little over 500 square feet to the largest at 726 square feet, with the majority around the 600 square-foot range.
Those sizes are comparable with the Philadelphia apartment market. In 2023, a study showed that the average size of a new one-bedroom apartment built in Philadelphia over the previous decade had been 764 square feet, while the average studio was 445 square feet. A more recent study found that $1,500 a month would get a renter 591 square feet in the city.
Scannapieco says Scout has been studying complexes that include artist housing and workspace in cities like New York, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. The 15th Street project will include specialized amenities like dark rooms, slop sinks, and material storage libraries.
“Artists are essential to Philadelphia’s identity, economy and future,” said Kristina Newman-Scott, Knight Foundation’s vice president of arts. “This project demonstrates what becomes possible when we design cities with artists in mind, creating affordable places for artists to live and work is an investment in Philadelphia’s long-term vitality.”
Scannapieco says she expects the affordable artist apartments will be open by mid-2027.
“A lot of people talk about the need for permanent commitments and allocation of housing for artists and cultural workers, and we’ve never been able to frankly do it at this scale in Philadelphia,” she said. “So that’s very much what this project will provide.”
The Village of Industry & Art, which covers over 110,00 square feet, currently hosts the popular outdoor restaurant and bar Frankie’s Summer Club in its courtyard facing 15th Street.
A news release from Knight and Scout noted that it already includes tenants such as BlackStar Projects, Monument Lab, DesignPhiladelphia, and the Stained Glass Project.
