A Solid Reputation

Promoting Empowerment and Community Growth

In 1990, The William Penn Foundation recognized the need to demonstrate the effectiveness of private and public partnerships to improve inner-city neighborhoods. As part of its initiative, Beech Interplex was born.

At the time, the area was overwhelmed by vacant residential and commercial structures, trash strewn streets with abandoned cars, weed filled lots, poor street lighting, and graffiti on every surface. The negative physical attributes had taken its toll on the people who lived there. With few exceptions, the residents and businesses owners were hopeless because it appeared no positive changes were going to take place in the near future.

Since then, Beech Interplex has been successful in carrying out its mission to revitalize the community, promote community empowerment.

Community members sitting in chairs under a tent
old construction on brick building
large dinner party
old outdoor gathering on street
Beech members at dinner table

Our Foundation

The premises that guided Beech’s initial operations

  1. Establishment of a physical presence in the Cecil B. Moore area by placing its office in the community
  2. Implementation of mechanisms to expedite improvement as opposed to adding another bureaucratic layer
  3. Enhancing communication and cooperation between the community and private and public organizations
  4. Accurate assessment of community needs and focusing on them in the revitalization efforts
  5. Incorporation of planning visions with urban realities
  6. Institutionalization of services to ensure continued community growth once the major revitalization efforts are concluded
  7. Judicious utilization and leveraging of grants and loans
  8. Provide long-term employment opportunities to low and moderate-income residents and unemployed members of the community

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