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By Mike DeNardo

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Construction has begun on a new low-income housing complex in Philadelphia’s Nicetown neighborhood.

A noontime ceremonial groundbreaking today marked the beginning of Nicetown Court II, a 50-unit affordable housing and retail development in the 4400 block of Germantown Avenue.

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It’s being built right up the street from the 37-unit first phase, Nicetown Court I, which opened last December.

“Court I, of course, was an affordable apartment (rental) complex, where Court II is an affordable home ownership complex,” says Zakariyya Abdur-Rahman, president of the Nicetown Community Development Corporation (obscured at left in photo).  “That’s the change we made because, in terms of our strategic housing plan, (it will) prepare the people from rental to become actual homeowners.”

The $16-million project uses $5.5 million in federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 funds.

Completion is scheduled for next fall.