Michael D’Onofrio, Philadelphia Tribune

It’s a new day on Market Street in West Philadelphia.

Two nonprofit organizations embarked Friday on a nearly $50 million project to build a four-story community services and retail complex on an underutilized and vacant city block at 59th and Market streets.

The project, New Market West, will create 137,700-square-feet of space in a building spread across the 1.5 acre property. Currently a garbage-strewn lot with a parking lot, an abandoned house and gas station occupy the space.

The complex will provide space for early childhood education, workforce development, and educational, emergency, behavioral health services. A second phase of the project is expected to construct more than 40 units of affordable housing in a separate building, which will cost an additional $15 million.

The joint venture between Mission First Housing Group, which develops and manages affordable housing projects, and Horizon House, which provides community-oriented services, broke ground on Friday during a ceremony that which was attended by Gov. Tom Wolf, and city and state representatives.

Click here to read the whole story from the Philadelphia Tribune.