A historic school building in Germantown is slated to reopen by next summer — more than a decade after academic performance and shrinking enrollment closed the hulking property amid a financial crisis at the School District of Philadelphia. Developers are converting the former Germantown High School into a mixed-use development with approximately 240 apartments. The first 45 units are expected to be completed in the next 6 to 8 months. The entire project could wrap up as early as 2025. “Construction will be moving along at a pretty quick pace,” said architect David Polatnick during a packed community meeting. The news came nearly two years after Germantown Development, the property’s second new owner, began transforming the property on Germantown Avenue, a by-right project that has frustrated residents still heartbroken over the decision to close the neighborhood’s only public high school after 99 years in the community. Anthony Fullard, president of West Powelton Development, told the audience the project will have a mix of market-rate and affordable units, including ADA-compliant units for low-income residents with disabilities. He said the development team is working out some of those details with the help of Liberty Resources, a nonprofit that works with that population. For now, it’s unclear how many units will be affordable and how many will be market-rate. Fullard and his partners also haven’t settled on monthly rents for the project, a source of concern for some residents as the neighborhood continues to attract attention from developers. Read more here.
Source: PlanPhilly; 11/17/2023