Eastern Penna Psychiatric institute

The architect firm of Harbeson, Hough, Livingston, and Larson was hired by the state to design a new psychiatric hospital in the East Falls section of Philadelphia. Built on a spraling 14 acres and standing 12 floors above ground this modernism high-rise now sits looming in the distance and its future unknown.

As the state hospitals’ population was on the decline across the state in the 1970s, and in 1981 the state transferred operations to the Medical College of Pennsylvania who continued to operate the facility until 2006. In 2008, EPPI was leased to the city as temporary housing for the Youth Study Center until their new building was completed. EPPI has been vacant since 2013.

As part of an initiative by the Corbett administration (former Pennsylvania governor) to sell of unused state properties EPPI was put up for auction. In 2014 EPPI was sold to NewCortland, an organization that provides services to senior citizens. Local residents have voiced their displeasure with the sale not wanting these types of services in their area. Rather, mix-use retail and residential use of the site. As of my exploration of EPPI, some work has been started on the property but it seems to have stopped. This could be COIVD related or the plans are changing. The building does seem to be in a rather good condition and I hope plans happen soon.