A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY has discovered no construction activity at the site 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. Photo by Jamie Meller. November 2024
6767 Germantown Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. November 2024
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.
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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The fenced-off vacant parcel at 6765-71 Germantown Ave. recently (2019 or later) held three three-story detached pre-war (at least one pre-civil war) buildings, at least two of which housed commercial space. One was a fitness club and one was a Montessori school. Two were set back from Germantown Ave., both with curb appeal — low Wissahickon Schist stone walls, attractive landscaping, and covered porches. The middle edifice met the street with a large glass window and door to the fitness club.
By including five affordable units, the project earned the right to build 11 extra apartments (of which it has used none) and rise seven feet higher (of which it has used seven) than zoning allows. However, that construction has not yet started after permits were issued nearly three years ago (January 2022) is a bright red flag, portending a vacant lot for the foreseeable future.
Mt. Airy loses a bit of its architectural beauty and gains 33 new automobiles with their noise, pollution, and traffic congestion. Seems like a steep price to pay for 65-70 new residents.
Adaptive reuse was not part of this project’s game plan. Three more pieces of Mount Airy’s charm got demolished; now, who cares what they build. Just imagine what they could have done by including those three buildings with the rear lot to achieve the density so desired.