A new apartment building will rise amid a group of Germantown landmarks

Have a question about Philly’s neighborhoods or the systems that shape them? PlanPhilly reporters want to hear from you! Ask us a question or send us a story idea you think we should cover.

A 75-unit apartment building may be built next door to Germantown Town Hall, across the street from the former home of Germantown High School.

The five-story proposal for 5932-42 Germantown Ave. calls for a mix of one- and- two-bedroom apartments. It also includes two commercial spaces and 38 parking spaces on the ground floor, as well a shared roof deck.

A vacant one-story building, previously used as a day care center, currently occupies part of the site. This structure is set to be demolished to clear the way for a new market-rate development project.

“We feel like this is a really good site on a big central boulevard on Germantown Avenue that people will be able to have access to both the amenities of Germantown and access to other parts of the city very quickly on public transportation routes and other ways of getting around the city,” said Andrew Eisenstein, a partner at Iron Stone Real Estate Partners.

Iron Stone does not need a zoning variance, permission to deviate from the law, to move forward with construction. But the size of the project means it must be considered by the city’s Civic Design Review committee, an advisory group composed of architects and planners that provide feedback on proposed developments. That is scheduled to happen during a committee meeting Sept. 3.

Construction is expected to start next spring and take two years to complete, said Eisenstein. This is Iron Stone’s first ground-up project in the neighborhood.

Members of West Central Germantown Neighbors, the registered community organization for the area, have discussed the project with Iron Stone, though the company does not need the group’s approval to complete the project.

During a meeting in early June, residents raised concerns about the number of units proposed for the site, as well as a narrow driveway that police with the 14th District use to exit the station when responding to calls, said zoning chair Julie Stapleton Carroll. There is also unease about the proximity of the proposed development to a group of rowhomes on Harvey Street.

Across the street on Germantown Avenue, developers are in the midst of converting the former high school into a mixed-use development with approximately 240 apartments. The first 45 units are now available for lease.

“The question is, ‘What is the capacity in that area for additional units?’” said Stapleton Carroll. She said the project may also create a safety issue if renters block the driveway officers use as an egress.

The proposal is part of a wave of residential construction in Germantown. It moves forward as the future of its neighbor, Germantown Town Hall, remains in limbo.

West Powelton Development has access to the long-vacant property under a memorandum of understanding the company signed with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation. The company is required to submit a feasibility study to PIDC, which will determine if its redevelopment plan is viable.

Anthony Fullard, president of West Powelton Development, told neighbors last February that he wants to transform the town hall structure into a mixed-use property with apartments, event space and office space. A second phase would be focused on the construction of a brand new apartment building that would sit directly behind Germantown Town Hall.

PIDC spokesperson Kevin Lessard said the MOU is currently set to expire in late winter.

“The Townhall redevelopment presents significant logistical and financial challenges and as such, PIDC and the City seek to ensure the developer has sufficient time to continue evaluating the full feasibility of its proposed project,” said Lessard in a statement.