, ▁the ▁area ▁where ▁this ▁school ▁was ▁built ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁Black ▁B ottom ▁or ▁simply ▁" the ▁bottom ". ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁name ▁suggests , ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁primarily ▁populated ▁by ▁poor ▁African ▁Americans . ▁ ▁In ▁contrast , ▁the ▁largely ▁white ▁and ▁aff lu ent ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁( P enn ) ▁was ▁located ▁nearby . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁P enn ▁led ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁local ▁institutions ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁West ▁Philadelphia ▁Corporation ▁( W PC ), ▁which ▁had ▁the ▁legal ▁power ▁to ▁take ▁land ▁under ▁em inent ▁domain ▁and ▁the ▁financial ▁and ▁political ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁and ▁federal ▁govern ments . ▁▁ ▁The ▁W PC ▁developed ▁plans ▁to ▁clear ▁most ▁of ▁Black ▁B ottom ▁and ▁build ▁a ▁science ▁center ▁and ▁a ▁high ▁school . ▁ ▁Natur ally , ▁this ▁led ▁to ▁conflict ▁with ▁the ▁existing ▁residents , ▁and ▁the ▁plans ▁were ▁significantly ▁re vised . ▁ ▁Ult imately ▁the ▁neighborhood ▁was ▁raz ed ▁for ▁re development . ▁ ▁Est im ates ▁of ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁disp la ced ▁people ▁vary ▁from ▁ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁" Univers ity ▁City " ▁was ▁widely ▁used ▁in ▁this ▁area ▁after ▁these ▁and ▁other ▁major ▁re development ▁efforts . ▁ ▁Pl anning ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁the ▁US ▁Department ▁of ▁H ous ing ▁and ▁Urban ▁Development ▁announced ▁it ▁had ▁approved ▁a ▁grant ▁of ▁almost ▁$