After Pushback, Developer Presents Scaled-Back Germantown Apartment Project

Following pushback from nearby residents, Huntingdon Valley-based Olympia Holdings is scaling back its plans for an apartment project in Germantown, writes Ryan Mulligan for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

The revised plans bring down the number of units from the originally proposed 148 to 125. The overall footprint of the five-story development at 42-68 Church Lane has also been reduced to 157,000 square feet from the original 174,000 square feet. More parking spaces have been added as well.

The project would be constructed on a lot that currently sits vacant just off Germantown Avenue. The developer is planning to present the project, designed by Philadelphia-based KJO Architecture, to Philadelphia’s Civic Design Review committee on September 5.

The project was first introduced in the spring and has since faced substantial opposition from the Germantown neighborhood. The petition, which started circulating in June, cited concerns about the design’s incompatibility with the surrounding neighborhood as well as over the size of the development.

Residents were also concerned about the historic preservation of nearby landmarks.

The petition has since received more than 1,000 signatures.

In addition to opposition, the development also has to solve the zoning issue, as the property is currently zoned for industrial use.

Read more about the scaled-back Germantown apartment project and its future in the Philadelphia Business Journal.

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