Permits have been issued for the construction of a four-story, 45-unit apartment building at 6767 Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy, Northwest Philadelphia. The development will replace a three-story prewar structure on the east side of the block between Slocum and Pleasant streets. The building will rise from a 12,500-square-foot footprint and will contain 48,950 square feet of interior space. The ground floor commercial space will contribute to the existing retail corridor along the street, and the roof deck promises to offer sweeping views of the surroundings due to the building’s relative prominence. A total of 33 parking spaces will be included, one of which will be van-accessible. Permits list Neighborhlyliving LLC as the owner and Venco Builders Inc. as the contractor.
6767 Germantown Avenue. Looking northeast. Credit: Google Maps
The development planned at 6767 Germantown Avenue will rise on a quaint yet dense stretch of the cobblestone-paved thoroughfare, where a minor business district anchors an otherwise predominantly residential community. The building that is currently located at the site is rather attractive, if understated, sporting a deep front yard, a large covered porch, window awnings, and a prominent gambrel roof.
Although the existing building makes for a pleasant presence on the streetscape, it falls short of being a strong preservation candidate, and it remains as one of the only detached, set-back structures on an otherwise densely built stretch, where most buildings, prewar and recently built alike, extend to the sidewalk and offer ground-floor retail. One such building was built next door to the south around 2017, replacing a single-story structure with a three-story, Postmodern-styled development, which, despite its plain facade treatment, pays an understated homage to prewar archetypes.
The development site at 6767 Germantown Avenue sits within an under-ten-minute walk to the Carpenter Station of the regional rail, situated several blocks to the west. The station offers a roughly half-hour commute to University City and to Center City, and a 40-minute ride to Temple University in North Philadelphia.
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You left out the part that there is a townhouse across the street from this over 80 years old where all the units are set back from the sidewalk with gardens. This project will more than double the number of residents in the 6700 block essentially making it impossible to find parking while overtaxing the sewer systems, drainage, water system, overloading traffic while blocking access for the fire station on the corner not to mention that Germantown Ave is an emergency snow route. This does nothing to provide affordable housing in the area as those of us across the street cannot afford the new units but we will have light blocked from the 4 story unit and have much more noise pollution. We moved here for the community, values and green spaces that make Mt Airy unique but this gentrification leads to a downtown Philly feel.
“overtaxing the sewer systems, drainage, water system, overloading traffic while blocking access for the fire station on the corner”
Interesting. It would be rude of me to assume that this is just baseless speculation that is not grounded any verified facts, so can you please post a source for these findings?
This IS getting ridiculous!! I see no reason to tear that house down. It is a nice break form all of the other commercial buildings. I vote NO not that anyone cares what a citizen says. Greed is the driving force here and where are the new tenants going to park? In the already over crowded neighborhood streets?
I am working on a project for school involving the history of this house and its importance within Germantown, which may lead to a preservation nomination. This house goes back to 1847, and as mentioned, is one of the last examples of pre-Civil War construction in the area. I would love to get in contact with you to exchange any information on this building.
I wonder if there is an effective way to preserve this historically significant house while transferring available development rights to a nearby parcel.
At this point, it’s highly unlikely. The permits are issued, including demolition permits, and some parts have already been torn down. The rear yard had a detached structure from the 1950’s which was demolished at some point in the past year or so. Then again, stranger things have happened.