Whittier : Senior Housing Approved

A four-story, 146-unit senior citizen housing development in Uptown Village has been approved by the Planning Commission. The development is one of two housing projects planned for the former site of William Penn Hotel on the south side of Philadelphia Street between Friends and Washington avenues.

Abrams Development Inc. of Los Alamitos hopes to break ground on the long-awaited project in October if the City Council approves the firm’s plans as expected later this month. Abrams paid about $900,000 last fall to purchase 1.4 acres of the former hotel site. A Quaker Church group, the California Yearly Meeting, plans to build 75 one-bedroom units next year for low-income people over the age of 62 on the balance of the property.

The Abrams units will be mostly one-room suites with private bathrooms and kitchenettes. The complex will have a central dining room, whirlpool baths, a beauty shop and general store for tenants.