Redevelopment Authority wants historic Germantown Y overhauled

The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority is taking another shot at getting the historic Germantown YWCA redeveloped.

The agency has issued a new request for proposals on the landmark property at 5820-24 Germantown Ave. and wants a developer to buy the vacant 48,768-square-foot building and redevelop it. There are some parameters.

 “The proposed rehabilitation plan should take into consideration the neighborhood and provide an attractive, well-designed development that enhances the quality and physical appearance of the community,” the redevelopment authority said.

It wants any redevelopment to preserve the building’s historical features including the facade. Built in 1914, it was placed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 1984.

The redevelopment authority suggested that redevelopment could involve incorporating ground-floor commercial use and the remainder of the building could be used for professional offices and services, retail, grocery stores, sit-down restaurants, educational facilities, government offices and artist studios.

When the redevelopment authority previously issued an RFP for the building’s redevelopment in 2014, a single proposal was submitted and it was for low-income senior housing. The plan was rejected by the city.

"We are open to the best uses for the project, and housing could be part of that," said Jamilla Davis, a spokeswoman for the Division of Housing and Community Development in Philadelphia. "I know [the] desire or lack thereof for subsidized housing was a part of the last RFP conversation. This RFP is different from the last one, and again, we are looking for best uses for this specific community, and are open to what developers would like to purpose for this site."

Germantown YWCA has a long and important history in the city and neighborhood.

It was one of the first racially-integrated facilities. In 2006, Germantown Settlement, a social service agency, bought the building and used it for its operations. Four years later, Settlement filed for bankruptcy and the building was taken over by the redevelopment authority. The city has invested millions to stabilize what had become a derelict and run down structure.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal