Germantown : Development News

As you step outside your home or office this Friday, September 19, don't be surprised if you see your neighbor lounging where their car would normally be parked.

In fact, don't be surprised if an antique coffee table is perched on the sidewalk next to them, or if a working lamp, bookshelf or mini-fridge is alongside in the gutter.   
 
Every year here in Philadelphia -- and throughout the world, for that matter -- on the third Friday of September, an unusual celebration of public spaces occurs at dozens of metered parking spaces throughout the city.
 
Known as PARK(ing) Day, the nine-year-old event was first launched in San Francisco, where a single metered parking space was transformed for two hours into a miniature public park by members of an architecture firm. A photo of the temporary installation soon went viral, and by 2011, PARK(ing) Day was being celebrated in 162 cities on six continents.
 
Here in Philly, more than 50 diminutive pop-up parks will be installed in Center City, Queen Village, Germantown, Fishtown and North Philly, to name a few. An interactive map of the planned parks can be accessed online.
 
As Erike De Veyra of Zimmerman Studio, which organizes the event locally, points out, the purpose of PARK(ing) Day Philadelphia isn't solely to raise awareness of public spaces. It's also to suggest that public spaces, which bring communities together, don't necessarily need to be large or even particularly expensive in order to serve their purpose.
 
From 5 to 8 p.m., the Center for Architecture will host an after-party featuring photos from the day. Click here to reserve a spot.  

Insider's Tip: According to De Veyra, a Center City architecture firm historically hosts one of the event's best parks. It's located near the corner of Broad and Walnut.

Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Erike De Veyra, Zimmerman Studio

Flying Kite readers should remember the address 322 W. Chelten Avenue — the Germantown storefront was a site for our "On the Ground” program, a year-long initiative that activated underutilized spaces in under-covered neighborhoods. Thanks to a new loan program from the Commerce Department, 322 W. Chelten Avenue is now home to a thriving new business, Rose Petals Café & Lounge.

The InStore Forgivable Loan Program targets retail, food and creative businesses on commercial corridors that serve low- to moderate-income communities. The loans enable businesses to purchase equipment and materials in order to expand or open a new location. The Department of Commerce had previously offered grants for façade renovations through its Storefront Improvement Program, but a funding option for interior improvements did not exist.

"The program helps to revitalize Philadelphia's commercial corridors as the backbone of residential neighborhoods," says Jonathan Snyder, Sr. from the Commerce Department. "InStore Loans strategically invest in businesses that will increase foot traffic, improve the retail mix, enhance existing businesses, create jobs, and provide goods and services." 

The loans range between $15,000 and $50,000, and are forgiven if the recipient meets program guidelines for five years. For Rose Petals, the funding covered the cost of critical start-up supplies, including refrigeration units, a hood and exhaust system for the stove, new floors, shelving units, a copper ceiling and a coffee bar.

Rose Petals was selected because of its proximity to public transportation and distinction as one of the neighborhood's only sit-down restaurants. As the first business to receive an InStore Loan, the cafe influenced the program's development.

"They were selected as the pilot recipient to help us refine the application process to ensure it was as efficient as possible for future applicants," explains Snyder.

The InStore Program is now available for businesses on more than 88 eligible commercial corridors throughout the city. 

Writer: Nicole Woods
Source: Jonathan Snyder, Department of Commerce

The Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics is doling out $20,000 worth of grants to foster art and design-based projects that address civic challenges or improve public space. Among the winners are Flying Kite favorites such as the Public Workshop, the University City District and Friends of Maplewood Mall in Germantown. The awardees are as follows: 

Public Workshop will receive a $6,000 grant to fund "Choose Your Own City Hall Adventure," a new signage initiative in City Hall that will help individuals navigate the serpentine public space more efficiently.

University City District will receive a $3,900 grant to create "Tree Seats," a functional art project providing seating in naturally shaded areas across the neighborhood.

The North 5th Street Revitalization Project will receive $5,100 to support the "Gateways to Olney: Where Local is Global" project, a collaborative partnership that transforms key bus stops along corridor into small-scale visitor centers.

The Friends of Maplewood Mall will receive a $5,000 grant to make physical improvements to Germantown's historic Maplewood Mall; the grant will also support arts-related programming.

The Challenge Grants Competition is a partnership between the Office of New Urban Mechanics and the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. Funding is provided by the Knight Foundation and managed by CEOs for Cities.

In its first year, Flying Kite's On the Ground program has embedded the publication in four neighborhoods, occupying vacant storefronts for 90 days each. Community engagement, positive reporting and reimagining underutilized commercial spaces are pillars of the effort.
 
Now one of our On the Ground storefronts has landed a permanent tenant. After three months of events and outreach at 322 W. Chelten Avenue in Germantown, the folks at Philly Office Retail were able to rent the property to Rose Petals Café and Lounge, a BYOB concept new to the area.  
 
According to Noah Krey with Philly Office Retail, before Flying Kite's On the Ground program, there was no tenant expressing serious interest in the storefront (former home to a regional Obama campaign office). 
 
"Enlivening the space made it an easier sell to prospective tenants," says Krey. That new energy, coupled with Philly Office Retail's commitment to bringing a quality tenant to this stretch of Chelten Avenue, is what helped attract Rose Petals Café.
 
The space is now under construction. Owners Desmin and Jania Daniels, a Mt. Airy couple launching their first restaurant, hope to open by the end of July. 
 
The BYOB ("bring your own bottle"), which Krey calls "a great concept for this part of Germantown," will offer breakfast, lunch, pastries, specialty smoothies and 10 different waffle options. Dinner will be served Friday and Saturday evenings (6 - 10 p.m.) and feature a fusion of Latin and Soul cuisines.
 
The café and lounge will also feature wireless internet and a small stage for live music. The couple eventually hopes to renovate the backyard, adding additional seating and possibly a tiny dog park.
 
Source:  Noah Krey, Philly Office Retail
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Maplewood Mall, a historic shopping center in downtown Germantown, is set to receive $2.2 million in city funds for a complete redesign. Councilwoman Cindy Bass and Kevin Dow, Chief Operating Officer of the Department of Commerce, made the announcement this past Saturday.
 
"In its current state, the Mall's design does not live up to its potential," explains Joseph Corrigan, director of communications for Cindy Bass’s Office. "The space could be a great urban place and an anchor for future redevelopment."
 
The redesign will build off the ideas summarized in the recently adopted Central Germantown Business District Beautification Plan, and input will be solicited through an aggressive community outreach process.
 
"The redesign will be driven by the community," adds Corrigan, explaining that once the vision is fleshed out, an official RFP will be released to hire a consulting firm. If all goes according to plan, final design work should be completed by fall 2014.
 
As part of the outreach process, Germantown United CDC and G-Town Radio are hosting a Re-Imagining Maplewood Mall Night Café and Block Party. The free event will take place on Saturday, June 22, 4 to 8:30 p.m. (a rain date is scheduled for June 29). Expect live music, activities for children and food from area restaurants.
 
Through Re-Imagining Maplewood Mall, the CDC hopes to reintroduce citizens to the area as a place to shop and socialize while garnering new ideas for the big makeover.

Source:  Joseph Corrigan, Director of Communications for Councilwoman Cindy Bass
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Over the next ten months, approximately 120 Youthbuild Philadelphia students will transform two vacant homes in Nicetown into models of sustainable living. The homes, located at 2006 and 2008 West Wingohocking Street, are the latest projects in a neighborhood experiencing a swell of investment.
 
The homes sit directly across the street from Wayne Junction Station, where SEPTA is investing $18 million in intermodal improvements. Down the street is Nicetown Court I, a mixed-use mixed-income project completed in 2011; Nicetown Court II, a 50-unit mixed-use development, is currently under construction.

Youthbuild Philadelphia, an offshoot of YouthBuild USA, is a charter school that gives students the opportunity to earn high school diplomas or GEDs while exposing them to real world trades such as construction.
 
For these homes, Youthbuild has partnered with the Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation, an arm of the world’s largest building materials company (their North American operations are based in Valley Forge), to ensure the structures are built with a sustainable, energy-efficient ethos.
 
"This project gives us the chance to pair young adults side-by-side with top-notch building scientists and experts," says Carmen Ferrigno, Saint-Gobain's vice president of communications. "It is a great opportunity for the kids to see people with careers in this field and see what it is like to have this type of job."
 
The Nicetown project will be the second completed by YouthBuild and Saint-Gobain as part of a three-year partnership. Accoding to Ferrigno, the first project -- located on Greene Street in Germantown -- "really surprised" his company with the impact it had on the young adults.
 
"We saw it was a very important experience for them to learn a new trade," says Ferrigno. "One student latched on to welding and has now earned an apprenticeship with a local union."
 
And ultimately, those stories are what the partnership is all about.

"These students go through a transformation," adds Ferrigno. "Using top-of-the-line building materials, we're pairing kids with experts to learn not just a new trade but the latest innovations in our industry."

Source:  Carmen Ferrigno, VP of communications, Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

If you’re a Northwest Philly resident looking to be a bit more green in your daily life, you're in luck. On Wednesday, May 8, the Germantown United Community Development Corporation (GUCDC) is hosting a community forum -- entitled "It IS Easy Being Green" -- focused on how residents and businesses can have a positive environmental and economic impact on their community.

The event is the second annual community forum sponsored by GUCDC, a relatively new organization dedicated to the well-being of Germantown.

"We planned the first forum specifically to introduce GUCDC to the community," explains GUCDC's Garlen Capita. "We wanted to answer the question, 'What does a CDC do?'"
 
According to Capita, that event was so successful that they decided to use the same format this year while shifting the focus to sustainability. Like last year's forum, this gathering is all about educating and disseminating information to the community.

"We want everyone who lives and works in Germantown to know that they have the power and the tools to improve the quality of life in their community," says Capita. "Hence the title, ‘It IS Easy Being Green.'"

The forum will begin at 6 p.m. with a "trade show" of organizations involved in sustainability and community issues. Participants include Awbury Arboretum, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, Friends of Vernon Park, Kelly Green, PhilaNOMA, Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, the Sustainable Business Network, Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed, and Wyck Historic House and Garden.
 
At 7 p.m., a panel will foster a community discussion on the sustainability issues confronting Germantown. The moderator will be Robert Fleming, associate professor of sustainable design at Philadelphia University. Other panel members include Dwayne Wharton, director of external affairs at the Food Trust, representatives from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Christine Knapp from the Philadelphia Water Department.

Also on the panel will be Aine and Emaleigh Doley, sisters and co-organizers of the West Rockland Street Project. They are working with neighbors to revitalize their block using nothing but dedication, plants and trees, and some serious elbow grease.

"We want people to know that if Aine and Emaleigh can do it, they too can turn their neighborhood around," says Capita.

The event is free and open to all. It will be held at the Flying Horse Center (312-316 W. Chelten Avenue). Please RSVP to [email protected].

Source:  Garlen Capita, GUCDC
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

In an effort to soften the sometimes hectic Chelten Avenue commercial corridor, the business district is getting a makeover.

In March, we reported that the City Planning Commission (CPC), led by Northwest Community Planner Matt Wysong, was working to improve Germantown's primary business district. The planning staff completed the Central Germantown Business District Beautification Plan last September and now implementation details are emerging.

"We’re starting with a model block," explains Wysong. "It will be Chelten Avenue between Greene Street and Germantown Avenue."

First up will be the planting of mature street trees, a project run by the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department -- and coming out of their operating budget.

"The beautification improvements of the model block are meant to be the connector between Maplewood Mall and Vernon Park," explains Wysong, referencing two major neighborhood landmarks.

Street trees will also be planted along Greene Street this fall; that project is being managed by Germantown Tree Tenders.

Then, in spring 2014, the City will shift its focus directly to the Chelten and Greene intersection. The Department of Public Property will work with the Coleman Library to enhance its corner entrance.

"We want the library to be an example of what an open and transparent building is meant to be along the model block," says Wysong. "We’ll remove the existing fence and improve its curb appeal so people are more aware it's open."

The plan's most ambitious project also focuses on the Chelten and Greene intersection -- at the northwest corner, immediately adjacent to Vernon Park, CPC plans to renovate the outdated bus plaza. Due to its complexity, Wysong is saving this improvement for last (Summer 2014) and, because of cost restraints, CPC is hoping to turn the project into a DIY effort of sorts.

Parks and Rec will be tapped to supply soil and materials, and CPC is currently looking for partners to either donate funds or dedicate time and labor to help construct the new platforms. The new plaza will act as a gateway to Vernon Park (Mural Arts is also being enlisted in this effort) while providing a needed transit improvement and public space amenity for Chelten Avenue.

Source:  Matt Wysong, Philadelphia City Planning Commission
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Flying Kite has been 'On the Ground' in Germantown for three months now, capturing a fluid snapshot of the neighborhood’s development scene. To put it simply, change is happening. Fast. Historic (often vacant) properties are being redeveloped, the area's rich housing stock continues to be refurbished and the commercial corridors are getting a facelift. 

"The neighborhood has come a long way in the past 20 years," says Noah Krey with Philly Office Retail, a local community-minded developer and Flying Kite's landlord in Germantown. "We’ve made leaps and bounds."

The proof is apparent -- we’ve covered a number of impressive projects changing the face of Germantown.

- The Waldorf School of Philadelphia is taking over the long-abandoned St. Peter's Episcopal Church at Wayne Avenue and Harvey Street.
 
- Germantown’s long-vacant YWCA site might finally be coming back to life as a mixed-use senior housing project.

- The Kendrick Mill building at 6139 Germantown Avenue has been rehabbed and now enjoys high occupancy rates -- tenants include local artists and designers.
 
- GreatnessIsInYou!, a local non-profit, is moving into the chapel at the abandoned Germantown Settlement Charter School on Germantown Avenue, with plans to utilize the space as a performing arts venue.
 
- The City of Philadelphia is actively implementing a series of beautification and streetscape improvements along Chelten and Germantown Avenues.

Krey believes these projects and many others (both private and public) are occurring all at once because of the neighborhood’s location -- investment on all sides of the area in the past 10 years is finally converging on Germantown. With the $33 million Wayne Junction SEPTA Station renovation underway, Krey thinks the neighborhood might get the push it needs to pass the tipping point.

Flying Kite’s current space at 322 W. Chelten is being shopped around to restaurant tenants (along with a space at 6734 Germantown Avenue). According to Krey, both locations have received a significant amount of interest.

Meanwhile, in Lower Germantown, Philly Office Retail is in negotiations with a major national tenant, hoping they'll move into 5847 Germantown Avenue, a 30,000-square-foot facility. "We’re a long way away -- and unable to divulge details -- but we hope to have a tenant for the property," says Krey. "It would be a major boon to Germantown."

These developments fit the development patterns taking hold in the neighborhood. Lower Germantown around Wayne Junction, with its large stock of warehouses and industrial buildings, is looking to become an office, industrial, medical and residential hub. Meanwhile, Chelten and Germantown Avenues are aiming for an entertainment district feel, complete with restaurants, arts venues and commercial properties.

"We’ll always invest in Germantown," says Krey. "There’s tremendous opportunity for growth." 
 
Source: Noah Krey, Philly Office Retail
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Already home to a growing stable of neighborhood favorites, Chelten Avenue recently welcomed another small business to the fold. Founded by Germantown resident and retired Philadelphia police officer Rita Butler, Chocolates by Esonkee is a gourmet chocolate and cupcake company.
 
Butler began making her specialty chocolates in 2005, starting with her signature "naughty nibbles" for bachelor and bachelorette parties (sold in partnership with her daughter’s company Riselng Events, LLC).
 
Over the next couple of years, the nibbles quickly became popular and demand for Butler's recipes increased.
 
"People started asking about her chocolates for other events," explains Risè Gravely, Butler's daughter and head baker at Chocolates by Esonkee. "She expanded to birthdays and celebratory occasions. Eventually, she became certified as a cake decorator and began offering those services as well."
 
In 2012, Butler successfully expanded the business to include themed cupcakes and mini cupcakes. About 6 months ago, Butler and Gravely decided it was time to put some permanence behind their business by opening a storefront.
 
"We scouted several locations along Chelten Avenue," says Gravely. "We wanted to be close to home and in a spot that fed off the high foot traffic along the corridor."
 
Eventually, the mother-daughter duo found their sweet spot, 245 Chelten Avenue -- a bus stop and several neighborhood institutions attract energy and customers. The bakery opened in early March. "It couldn't be a better location," says Gravely. "It’s just big enough and in the heart Germantown."
 
All goods at Chocolates by Esonkee are made with premium ingredients. Gluten and sugar-free sweets are available on request.

"So far, the response and support from the community has been really great," explains Gravely, adding that both she and her mother are particularly proud to add an African-American/women owned enterprise to Germantown’s local business arsenal. 

Source: Risè Gravely, Riselng Events,LLC; Chocolates by Esonkee
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

A historical society satellite office - brewery combo, a showcase for incremental stormwater strategies, an opportunity for façade renovations for small businesses -- these are just a few of the many ideas generated at last weekend's urban design charrette, co-hosted by Flying Kite at the Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust.

Flying Kite partnered with the Young Architects Forum (YAF), the Germantown United Community Development Corporation (GUCDC) and Philly Office Retail to make the charrette a reality. Over 40 designers and community members came together to generate ideas for improving the 6100 and 6200 blocks of Germantown Avenue -- a stretch of Germantown's commerical corridor that borders Mt. Airy.

"Even though I know YAF has a talented group of designers to pull from, the level of ideas attained in a few short hours still amazes me," says YAF's Jeffrey Pastva. "The group was able to quickly assess the state of the area and offered multiple ideas on how to engage the community on a path forward."

Solutions ranged from grand schemes to small fixes. It was the small ideas -- those that can easily overcome traditional barriers such as cost, implementation and community buy-in -- that particularly interested folks from GUCDC.
 
"There were great ideas for short-term uses -- gardens, temporary plazas for outdoor movies -- and creative, art-focused uses, like an art/bus stop with a green roof that could bring energy and vitality to the area," says Garlen Capita with GUCDC. "Those ideas can definitely gather enough momentum to become real projects."
 
Capita was also impressed with the designers' focus on transit and sustainability. "There was a strong push to have a more green, sustainable approach to redevelopment that was more sensitive to the needs of walkers and transit users, and not just focused on more parking and auto-oriented users,” she explains.

The energy and enthusiasm in the room during the charrette was palpable. "It got a lot of people talking," says Liz Einsig Wise, executive director of the Mennonite Historic Trust. "It encouraged folks to meet new neighbors, strengthened partnerships with institutions like Settlement Music School, and [pushed people] to have more conversations towards wherever this takes us." 

"Our next step is to present some of the initial concepts to members of the local business alliance, historical organizations and faith-based organizations, and to meet individually with the business owners and organizational leaders," says Capita. "We’ll discuss the vision for the corridor, priorities and action items that we can work to support and eventually implement."

Source: Jeffrey Pastva, Young Architects Forum; Garlen Capita, Germantown United CDC; Liz Einsig Wise, Executive Director of the Mennonite Historic Trust
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

With support from local developers, community groups, residents and now the zoning board, the Waldorf School of Philadelphia is picking up and moving. They are taking over the long-abandoned St. Peter's Episcopal Church at Wayne Avenue and Harvey Street, right in the heart of Germantown.

The move has been a long time coming. The 16-year-old school outgrew their New Covenant campus and is in need of more space.
 
"The church had been on our minds for a few years," says Cristina Shiffman, School Chair of Waldorf. "We researched a number of ways to acquire it, but found we couldn't purchase and renovate the property ourselves."
 
The school approached Ken Weinstein's Philly Office Retail, hoping they would buy the property and then lease it back to Waldorf. A major developer and stakeholder in Germantown, Weinstein and his company obliged.

"It's a Frank Furness design," exclaims Weinstein. "If we didn’t do something the buildings would have to be torn down in five years."

After a few years of negotiating and planning -- including an application for a special use zoning exemption (the property was zoned for residential use only; the exemption is now in place) -- Weinstein will purchase the church for $435,000.

Plans for the four buildings on the historic church's two-acre site include extensive renovations to add classrooms, redoing the aging roofs and adding floors inside the sanctuary. The building's façade will be entirely preserved. Weinstein says the project's cost will hover around $4 million. They expect to break ground this fall.

Shiffman says initial reception from the community has been encouraging. The school is already working with the Friends of the Wissahickon to take stewardship of a portion of the park adjacent to the new school grounds. They hope to use the green space for nature walks and educational activities.

In the years to come, Shiffman expects other adult education activities and community events to become the norm on school grounds. "We’re really pleased with how everything has come together so far," says Shiffman. "We’re excited to see what’s possible in Germantown."

Source: Cristina Shiffman, School Chair, Waldorf School of Philadelphia
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

After two-and-a-half months On the Ground in Germantown, the area's many assets become immediately apparent. The rich history, beautiful housing stock and diverse community are enough to make other Philly neighborhoods envious. But it’s also become clear that some of these assets are underutilized.

The City Planning Commission, led by Northwest Community Planner Matt Wysong, is looking to change that, starting with the Central Germantown Business District Beautification Plan, officially adopted last September. The Plan aims to improve Germantown’s primary business district at the nexus of Chelten and Germantown Avenues.

"Downtown Germantown was the King of Prussia of the 1950s," says Wysong. "With investment down and vacancy up, the district needs a facelift."

With the plan as a guide, the Planning Commission will implement a series of short- and long-term physical improvements to the commercial corridor over the next few years. The first, and most dramatic, is the reconfiguration of the plaza-like bus stop at Chelten Avenue and Greene Street.
 
"We're looking to fix the function and use of the space -- the basic things," explains Wysong. "We want to make spaces live up to their potential."
 
The improvements will increase transit access and safety for bus riders, and a pedestrian plaza will be created, tying into nearby Vernon Park, another open space Wysong believes is currently underutilized.
 
"The plaza can become a back door to Vernon Park," he says. "We want to take the vibrancy of Chelten and integrate it into Vernon Park."
 
The plaza’s final design has yet to be completed. The Planning Commission and Germantown United CDC held a design charrette at Flying Kite’s On the Ground space (322 W. Chelten Ave.) in February to jumpstart the process.
 
The Commission is also looking to implement streetscape improvements on Chelten between Germantown and Greene. New street trees, addition plantings and enhanced newspaper stands are all potential ideas.
 
Wysong says that even more dramatic improvements are set to take place longterm. Facelifts to Maplewood Mall and other targeted areas throughout the district will take place over the coming years.
 
"These current improvements are pilot projects," says Wysong. "They’re getting the ball rolling. By next summer, if all goes according to plan, you’ll really start to notice a big difference."

Source: Matt Wysong, Philadelphia City Planning Commission
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

The Wayne Junction SEPTA Station renovation has been underway for a little over a year and already developers and community groups are buying up nearby property, anticipating increased demand for living and working close to one of Philly's busiest transit hubs.  
 
The Frank Furness-designed station was rebuilt in 1900. It sits at the nexus of Germantown and Nicetown, and serves five different regional rail lines, making it one of the most heavily trafficked train stations in the city. Now, a $25 million renovation will bring the neighborhood anchor into the future, and hopefully spark the area's transformation.

Though progress has been slow, private investment has begun to pick up on the Germantown side of the station, notably in the Wayne Junction Industrial Historic District. Lower Germantown has tremendous potential -- it is rife with beautiful, historic, underutilized buildings. Last year, developer Ken Weinstein of Philly Office Retail bought the former Max Levy Autograph Co. building on Roberts Avenue.
 
"I was really encouraged by SEPTA's investment in upgrading Wayne Junction," says Weinstein, "otherwise I wouldn't have bought the building."
 
This past summer, Weinstein and company got to work removing asbestos and clearing the vacant structure of hazardous materials. Weinstein hopes the building can eventually be utilized as offices, lofts and artist studios.
 
Weinstein has also bought other buildings close to Wayne Junction, including the former Germantown Settlement Charter School (that project was detailed in a recent issue of Flying Kite). Transit proximity was a key factor for the school's new tenants, GreatnessIsInYou!, a community performance space, and the non-profit New Directions for Women.
 
On the south side of Wayne Junction, the public sector has entered the fray. Nicetown Court II, a collaboration between the Nicetown Community Development Corporation and Universal Companies -- with funding help from the city, state and federal governments -- is currently under construction. Once complete, the project will bring 50 units of low-income housing and retail to the 4400 block of Germantown Avenue.

That development is being built adjacent to the 37-unit first phase, Nicetown Court I, which opened in 2011.
 
Matt Wysong of the Planning Commission says the projects are "completely remaking" this section of Germantown Avenue, and hopes their transit-oriented design will promote and inspire similar development north of Wayne Junction, something Weinstein would no doubt welcome with open arms. 
 
"The market [for significant private development] isn’t quite there yet," says Wysong, who believes that market is likely years away. But with Weinstein readying his properties for the completion of Wayne Junction’s renovation in 2014, that development could be a bit closer. 

Source:  Ken Weinstein, Philly Office Retail; Matt Wysong, City Planning Commission
Writer: Greg Meckstroth
 

Germantown’s long-vacant YWCA site might finally be coming back to life -- there are plans to transform the Vernon Park landmark into a mixed-use senior housing project. Developers Philly Office Retail are in the preliminary stages of securing the property for redevelopment, and in doing so, erasing the building's stigma as one of Germantown Avenue’s most high profile vacancies. But don't pop the champagne just yet.

"A lot has to happen to secure the property," explains Philly Office Retail's Ken Weinstein. The development team still has to finalize site plans, gain support from the community, line up site control and win low-income tax credits to move forward with intended plans.

"The goal is to pull this together by October when the application for low-income tax credits is due," says Weinstein. Weinstein is already working with his architect and believes the community will support the project. He is also confident that the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority (PRA) will foreclose on the vacant property.

In 2006, PRA lent the now-defunct Germantown Settlement community group $1.3 million to buy the YWCA and redevelop it as a community center. Germantown Settlement never made one mortgage payment on the property, and the structure was left to deteriorate. (Click here for the whole sordid history.)

To this day, the property is still owned by Germantown Settlement. 

According to Weinstein, the RDA has not yet moved to take back the property back because there’s been "no serious interest" in redeveloping the site. Now that Philly Office Retail is on board, the RDA is looking to move forward quickly with foreclosure proceedings.

Unfortunately, the structure has suffered severely from those years of neglect -- there were even a couple of fires. It remains to be seen if it can be saved. "I’ve never demolished a property in 22 years of doing business," says Weinstein, "but the building is in very bad shape."

No matter what happens with the original building, the end result will be a mixed-use senior facility that would compliment the pedestrian atmosphere of Germantown Avenue and serve local residents who need affordable housing. Weinstein is partnering with nearby senior care facility Center in the Park and Mission First Housing Development Corporation to earn the necessary tax credits to finance the project.

Ultimately, the development plan is about delivering a quality project for Germantown. "If we want to turn the area around, we need to do something here," says Weinstein.

Source:  Ken Weinstein, Philly Office Retail
Writer: Greg Meckstroth