The 59th Democratic Ward held a Civic Design Review (CDR) meeting on Germantown’s latest mixed-use development on April 8, with attendees commenting on the project's size and the developer’s other projects. 

The proposed apartment building is a 45-unit mixed-use project next to a shuttered Rite Aid on the 6200 block of Germantown Avenue — a stretch of the corridor that is rapidly changing after many years of sitting desolate and blighted, with some buildings boarded up.

Developer MGMT Residential plans to develop the thin strip of land at 6225-27 Germantown Ave., which runs back and behind neighboring buildings. The site now has a billboard at the front and an existing building in the rear. 

At the meeting, a representative for the developer said, “The plan really is to continue the transformation of the neighborhood along Germantown Avenue. We think this fits well with the neighborhood, that we think it'll be a nice improvement and also fits within the zoning.”

The proposed apartments will join several projects in that immediate area in various stages of completion,  including the old Comer Paper building site at Germantown Avenue and Washington Lane, another mixed-use project with more than 40 residential units, and ground-floor commercial space that MGMT Residential is overseeing. 

Plans for the new project call for demolishing the existing structure at the rear of the site and replacing it with the proposed four-story building, which would feature apartments, a basement garage, 27 on-site parking spaces, 32 bicycle spaces and a green roof. MGMT intends for the first floor to also include retail space facing Germantown Avenue. 

The site is zoned CMX-2, which means it is “by right” and does not require approval from the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment to proceed. However, because the project exceeds 50,000 square feet of floor area, it is subject to the CDR process.

At the CDR meeting, the project received a mixed reaction from attendees. Many see housing density as a need in Germantown but felt some of this project’s design missed the mark. Representatives for MGMT Residential who spoke at the meeting said the development likely would have about 25 one-bedroom units and 20 two-bedroom units.

Julie Stapleton Carroll, board president of Germantown United Community Development Corporation, told the Local, “I think this project is wrong for this site. It takes up the entire footprint of a very odd space. The developer has not taken any steps to engage with the community. I got the impression last night that the developer was there to just comply with the CDR requirements and the meeting was perfunctory.”

She continued, “I like the idea of more density on the Avenue but prefer it to be more thoughtful than this. It's ‘by right,’ so there's nothing we can do about it.” 

Part of the project would sit directly behind a neighboring building, with some attendees concerned it would block light to the back rooms of the structure. The owner of the neighboring building did not attend the CDR meeting. 

Others commented on the billboard that sits at the front of the property, asking if the developer can remove it. MGMT representatives said the company operating the billboard has a long-term lease, but they would “look into” the possibility of removing it when the lease is up. When asked, they did not specify the length of the lease. 

Patrick Jones, 59th Democratic Ward leader, told the Local,“I am an economic development advocate, so development and density on the corridor is needed and I'm happy with this project. I like the green roof. It's a fairly new and refreshing concept here in Germantown as it adds to the culture of Northwest Philly greenery.

But, he added, “I also feel they should support the community's request to remove the billboard. It's an eyesore as it does not fit with the rest of the changes in the area.” 

The Local contacted MGMT Residential multiple times to discuss the project, but company representatives did not provide comment.