SEPTA issues RFI for Germantown Station transit-oriented community development

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) issued a requests for information (RFI) for development at Germantown Station, a regional rail station on the Chestnut Hill East Line.

The station sits in the historic Germantown and serves as a gateway to the Central Germantown Business District. The RFI process will generate additional information from developers to help advance a mixed-use development at the station, specifically on the vacant property at 120-128 Chelten Avenue—a 61,821 square feet lot, or approximately 1.4 acres.

The project is a continuation of SEPTA’s Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Program, which encourages equitable and sustainable community development through the pursuit of joint development opportunities.

“To help grow revenues beyond the farebox, SEPTA is moving forward with joint development opportunities for transit-oriented communities,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer. “These help secure better returns on SEPTA’s real estate assets and promotes equitable and sustainable development around services.”

The concept for development envisions ground floor commercial space, upper floor apartments with an affordability component, attractive Germantown station access and a variety of public amenities.

The authority has coordinated this effort closely with the community of Germantown to create the Germantown Station Area Concept (SAC) Plan. SEPTA notes that support for improvements at the site has been echoed by Germantown residents and the Philadelphia City Planning Commission.

Over the years, SEPTA notes it has been approached multiple times about transforming this property to fortify the Chelten Avenue commercial corridor, provide more housing options and activate the station area.

The station has long been earmarked as a property identified for revitalization by various planning efforts, according to the authority. Most recently, in 2018, the city of Philadelphia adopted the Upper Northwest (UNW) District Plan. This plan recognized Germantown Station’s vital role in driving growth to Central Germantown.

SEPTA’s Germantown SAC reflects the goals of the city’s UNW District plan by identifying vacant and underutilized properties around the station with potential to become mixed-use, mid-rise buildings.

The Germantown SAC is also considering development of SEPTA’s East Armat Street Bridges at 5547 Lena Street and associated wooded properties at portions of 5510-18 Bayton Street. The authority says it is open to creative ideas on how these properties can be utilized to advance TOCs at Germantown Station.

SEPTA in February announced a partnership with Korman Communities and Benchmark Construction to develop the parking lot at Ambler Station with a similar mixed-use concept as part of the TOC program. Other TOC projects in various stages of screening and development include Conshohocken and Langhorne stations.