A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY has revealed that construction is underway at a four-story, 60-unit mixed use building at 6311-17 Germantown Avenue in Morton, Northwest Philadelphia. The development is situated on the east side of the block between East Washington Lane and East Duval Street. The building will span 51,592 square feet and feature commercial space on the ground floor, elevator service, a green roof that will span at least 60 percent of the rooftop, 20 bicycle spaces, and full sprinkling. Permits list Knight Rider Construction as the contractor and a construction cost of $5.29 million.
6311-17 Germantown Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022
The building rises from an irregularly shaped site that has a narrow exposure to Germantown Avenue, with the bulk of the property situated at the block interior behind an adjacent set of rowhouses. As such, the building appears much less bulky when seen from the street, with much of its bulk concealed from view. So far, the street-facing facade is very attractive and appears to generally match the renderings, boasting bay windows and a mansard fourth floor with dormer windows. A notable change from the original design may be seen at the apertures, where sash windows have replaced paneled windows that were indicated on the renderings.
6311-17 Germantown Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022
6311-17 Germantown Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022
The building at 6311-17 Germantown Avenue is a fine example of attractively designed, urbane construction that adds significant density and residential stock, reinforces the established commercial corridor, and emulates surrounding historic buildings, without overwhelming the neighborhood nor veering into the realm of pastiche (at least so far; on the latter point, we will see how the material quality of the facade comes out).
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While I appreciate the attempt to make traditional architecture, this building is just silly in it’s materials, porportions, and historical references….the original design as rendered at least has some attempts at a more interesting facade. Sheesh, 2022. Either do it right or don’t do it.
I actually think the opposite is true.
Once again, no mention of parking spaces for new construction in Germantown. Manayunk and Roxborough get (minimal) parking. Why not Germantown?? Who is signing off on these construction projects without parking for residents. Good luck parking on the avenue and have fun riding your bike (20 bike spots) on Germantown Ave.