325 Apartments, Homes At Kennedy Kenrick Approved In Norristown

NORRISTOWN, PA — Preliminary approval was granted Tuesday night to a massive housing project that would bring hundreds of new apartment units and townhomes to the site of the former Kennedy Kenrick High School in Norristown. It's the latest and one of the largest redevelopment projects in Norristown's ongoing revitalization, which has already seen an overhaul of much of the downtown, riverfront properties, and historic structures.

Municipal council agreed to the resolution, years in the making, which calls for more than 300 apartment units and townhomes across the properties at 120 E. Johnson Highway, 1920 Dekalb Pike, and 1910 Arch Street.

Specifically, the proposal from Progressive New Homes and surveyors Irick, Eberhardt, and Mientus contains 30 triplex units within 10 buildings, a dozen townhomes, 48 duplex townhomes, 35 two-story rowhomes, and 200 apartments within four, four-story buildings.

Numerous amenities will come with the development, including a pocket park, parking, lighting, stormwater and landscaping, sidewalks, and more.

The resolution also separates the apartment buildings from the other parcels so that they have separate zoning regulations to permit the needed construction.

Organizers are hoping to move fast to begin building soon. In the past, the developer said that they hoped to put homes up for sale on Kennedy Kenrick property by the spring or early summer of 2023.

Kennedy-Kenrick opened in 1993 as a part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, but closed for good in June 2010 when it merged with another school to form Pope John Paul II.

Progressive New Homes is behind other Norristown revitalization and development projects, including Arbor Mews and Arbor Heights.