CENTRAL
GERMANTOWN COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT
2006
I.
Organizational Information/History
CGC is a nonprofit community
development corporation that began operation in 1981. The
mission of CGC is to improve the Central Germantown area
socially and physically through economic development. CGC
operates from offices in the Vernon House at 5800 Germantown
Avenue. The Vernon House is in the center of Vernon Park
that is between Chelten Avenue and Price Street, on
Germantown Avenue.
CGC was founded after three
years of community led revitalization planning for
the Central Germantown business district. The business
district had once been one of the largest hubs of retail
activity in the Delaware Valley. In the late 70's and early
80's however, the four major department stores, decided to
close their Germantown stores. When this happened many
smaller stores followed suit.
Since 1981 the Central
Germantown business district has improved. The number of
store vacancies has dramatically dropped. CGC’s successful
advocacy of public improvements has made a difference. The
number of jobs in the area have increased through many of
the efforts listed below.
Central Germantown Council
has been engaged in commercial district revitalization
efforts for the past twenty three years. During that time
CGC followed a plan which grew out of a market study and
plan developed by the American Cities Corporation in 1980.
In fact, the creation of CGC was a result of the
recommendations made at that time. That work was updated by
Urban Partners in 1984, and again with our Retail
Opportunities in the Germantown Business District Survey
in1999 in conjunction with Real Estate Strategies, Inc. And
Marianna Thomas Architects. Many of the recommendations in
the and proposals in previous plans have been realized as
listed in other CGC materials.
II. Germantown Business District
Revitalization Plan 2006
Central Germantown Council,
through one of our board members worked with graduate
students in the School of Design, Department of City &
Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania. The
students met regularly with staff, board members, community
members, examined statistics, analyzed census data,
conducted surveys, and presented their progress to City
Planning Representatives, board and community members during
the course of their work. A final presentation was given in
May 2006 and a final report was given at CGC’s May board
meeting. We will use this plan as a framework to help the
community develop a strategic plan for central Germantown.
Presentations of the plan will be facilitated by CGC to
receive ideas and buy in from the over all community. After
the strategic plan is developed the implementation process
can begin.
The Germantown community has
been a relatively stable community over the past twenty five
years. While many neighborhoods in the City of Philadelphia
have declined significantly in population , the Germantown
population has declined moderately. The business corridor is
slowly becoming more diverse and the vacancy rate is low.
Property values are stable and several developers are
looking for viable projects in the area. Less than 15% of
area housing is vacant, average family size of 3.2 persons,
with 20.5% two parent and 26.4% female headed households,
40% of our households are singles. Owner- occupied housing
units 40.8% and Renter-occupied housing units 59.2%. Median
household income is $27,436 and median family income $32,986
with 20.2% of our families and 24.5% of our individuals are
living below the poverty level. 28% of our households have
less than $15,000.00 in income, 17% $15,000 -- $24,999,
16% $25,000 -- $34,999, 18% $35,000 – $49,999, 13% $50,000 –
$74,999, 7% $75,000 – $149,999, and 1% of our households
have an income of over $150,000. The heaviest portion of our
population is between 25 and 64 years old, 50% and youth
represent approximately 30% of our total population.
Racially we are 81.6% Black or African American, 14% White
or Caucasian, 1% Asian, 2.2% two or more races. Germantown
has a higher level of educated people when compared with
Philadelphia. 73.9% are High School graduate or higher, and
21..8% have Bachelor’s degree or higher.
Data from U.S. Census Bureau
– zip code tabulation area 19144 -- Census 2000 Demographic
Profiles.
During the coming year CGC
plans to direct a major part of its focus on the production
of a Strategic Revitalization Plan for Central Germantown
and an Organizational plan for CGC. Planning of this sort
has not been done since CGC was founded over twenty four
years ago. This planning effort will require the full and
objective cooperation of community members, political
leaders, the city planning department and funding sources if
we are to be successful. During the production phase of the
plan CGC expects to approach major foundations for funding.
This effort should provide CGC with financial stability for
a period of years. Our Project Manager is working to drive
the planning and production phases of this Strategic
Revitalization Plan. We want this new plan to
reflect the diversity of thoughts and issues that coexist in
the Central Germantown Community and to move us forward well
into the 21th century.
In the past CGC received
grants from the William Penn Foundation , the City of
Philadelphia and the C.A. Rowell Memorial Fund to produce a
Strategic Revitalization Plan for Central Germantown. The
document, “Retail Opportunity in the Germantown Business
District”, helped us in the marketing of the Central
Germantown Business District resulting in several inquires
and relocations. Many of the larger retailers are realizing
the potential opportunity that exist in urban communities
and several of them are in the process of developing
prototype, or smaller stores that will fit more
appropriately into the urban setting. We’ve received
inquiries from outlets such as Old Navy, Home Depot, Legend
Realty, Wendy’s, and several larger local developers. Path
Mark, Enterprise Rent -A -Car, WalGreens, Rite Aid, Foot
Locker, and several great new restaurants have opened in the
last few years. CGC has updated the Retail
Opportunity in the new revitalization plan, and will
continue the marketing of the area with upscale businesses
in 2006.
Through this comprehensive
strategic plan, CGC hopes to continue to develop and
stabilize the Central Germantown commercial corridor,
develop new housing in spaces assembled by NTI demolition,
and develop a stable funding source for the GSSD. This
strategic plan will include asset mapping and community
research and analysis, identify collaborations needed from
the private sector, city agencies, elected officials, and
implement feasibility criterion for potential projects. We
will continue our work to develop a zoning overlay to
maintain and encourage business diversity and quality.
The plan will also:
∙ develop a
management and marketing assessment instrument to assess and
evaluate potential marketing opportunities,
∙ develop a
physical improvement plan which will include the
preservation of the overall environment, housing, schools,
and stabilize local institutions.
∙ target
underutilized and incompatible land uses and other potential
opportunities for redevelopment and new construction, and
∙ identify all
potential improvements (transit, street scape enhancement)
to enhance the corridor as a shoppers destination.
The plan will be a main
thrust of our work in 2006/2007 as we spend time interacting
with several organizations and agencies to insure that we
avoid duplication of efforts. We will engage the Project
Developer (P.D.) to insure that this work is coordinated
with the efforts of neighboring community organizations and
agencies. The P.D. will also drive the new initiatives that
evolve from the planning process; coordinate our attempts to
assist the business organizations in the area; be our point
person in the organization and financing of new development
projects; and assist in attracting new viable businesses to
the Central Germantown Business corridor.
III. Community
Development Highlights
Germantown Avenue Street
Scape - This initiative is a collaboration with City,
State and Federal funds, assembled by Councilwoman Donna
Reed Miller, that added pedestrian lighting, replaced
sidewalks, curbs, and added trees. This project extends from
Coulter Street North to High Street at a cost of
approximately One Million $1,000,000. CGC worked through the
Commerce Department, RDA, Councilwoman Miller’s office,
related city agencies, local businesses, and contractors to
help coordinate the successful completion of this project.
Work began in 2004 but our planning meetings extended back
into 2003. CGC has lobbied for historic looking pedestrian
lighting for many years. This Street Scape is a great shot
in the arm for the shopping district and is beautiful. The
final touches were made early in 2005 and the last trees
should be in place this Summer. We are also having bicycle
racks installed in strategic locations along Germantown and
Chelten Ave.
With years of help from CGC,
the ShopRite Supermarket on the corner of Chelten and
Pulaski Avenue has acquired the land from SEPTA for its
expansion in early 2005.The new market The fresh grocer
opened on June 29th 2006 after extensive
renovations. The new owner has expressed a desire to become
a member of CGC and to get involved in our efforts to
revitalize the area.
The Vernon Park Neighbors,
VPN will continue to work to improve programing in our
beautiful eight acre park located in the heart of Central
Germantown’s Business District. Last year, 2005, we raised
the money to sponsored four free live jazz concerts in the
park. We are working to develop a year around calender of
programing in and around the park. This calender will
coordinate events and efforts of neighborhood organizations,
institutions surrounding the park, and other park users to
provide year around programming and reduce duplication.
There are four concerts, a blood drive, the Peoples
Festival, and several other events already on the schedule
for this year in and around the park.
CGC supported the development
of a new organization, Germantown Clergy Initiative,
which is focused on curbing the violence among our youth in
the community and Germantown High School. We have
given space for meetings, technical support and leadership
to the organization. GCI came into existence following a
shooting of a young man on the Germantown Avenue business
corridor after school in Oct. 2004. There were a series of
neighborhood meetings following the youth shooting seeking a
reason for, and a solution to the violence among our young
people. GCI held a 1000 man prayer march around Germantown
High School on November 16th 2004 and has worked
in and around the schools from that day until the end of the
school year 2006. GCI has conducted weekly mentor groups,
taken students on trips and college tours, formed a Safe
Corridor around the school every morning before school and
every afternoon after school, organized more than 20
churches, and trained more than 80 people through Town Watch
for Safe Corridors. GCI has created a model and is helping
other communities develop initiatives that deal with youth
violence. Collaborations have been developed with The School
District Of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Police Department,
School Police, administrators and councilors in GHS, dozens
of Clergy leaders, and a multiplicity of city agencies. GCI
has received both local and national exposure through
several printed articles. GCI will work throughout the
Summer in the selection process for new leadership in GHS,
summer jobs for students, requitement and training for safe
corridor volunteers, fund raising and planning for the
2006/2007 school year.
CGC has been asked to help
the seniors in Maple Village get security for their
building. Sen. Shirley Kitchen is giving the money through
DCED to hire the security company, Scott land Yard Security
Services, Mr. Omar Wilson. We interviewed them for the
security job in Maple Village Senior Complex. We had to
secure funds through State Sen. S. Kitchen, work with tenant
association, Center in the Park, and the developer, Pennrose.
Security began in, 2005 and is running smoothly until
this day. We are seek further fund to continue the
security into the future.
Peoples Festival in Vernon
Park – will continue this year and CGC is providing
technical support, clerical/administrative support, meeting
space and referrals to funding sources.
Technical assistance
was provided to businesses , developers, and community
organizations and institutions.. Contacts varied from
inquires for relocations into Germantown, zoning concerns,
new store openings and closings, property searches, meetings
and small business grant request. Referrals to City agencies
totaled five this month, including working with Councilwoman
Donna Reed Miller, State Representative John Myers, State
Senator Allyson Schwartz, and several City Of Philadelphia
agencies including L & I, Police Dept., Parking Authority,
MOCS, the Zoning Board, PCDC, SBA, The Recreation Department
and Sanitation/Streets Departments in coordination with OHCD
initiatives.
Town Hall has a young
developer seeking the means to develop the building. CGC’s
board met with the potential developer and heard his
tentative plans for the building’s future. He seeks to fit
it out for office space for one or two main tenants keeping
its historic integrity. The building has 17,000 sq. ft. of
usable space which could house a mid sized professional
firm. A resolution was passed in city council to begin the
process of transferring the property. Once the building is
controlled the developer will prepare and present formal
plans to the community. CGC will organize a formal
presentation in the future.
CGC successfully opposed
the sale of free parking lots in central Germantown
through a series of meetings with city agencies and local
business leaders. The Parking Authority has agreed not to
reduce the number of free spaces in central Germantown
without consulting or transferring said lots to CGC in the
future. CGC also successfully opposed the renewal of the
take out beer licence for a local stop n go that had been a
nuisance establishment in the community. We testified at the
zoning hearing, also got it passed through city council. We
worked with the owner to help them clean up the place also.
The courts have recently reinstated the licence but the
traffic isn’t as bad as in the past. We will keep an eye on
this place to see if we will have to initiate future
protest.
IV. Personnel Changes
Since our last annual meeting
we have had to directly hire the workers for GSSD
which necessitated securing workman’s compensation,
liability insurance and payroll services for the men. CGC
initially loaned the funds to GSSD to make this transition
but has since been reimbursed. There are two full time
workers and one part timers. The payroll and insurances are
handled through our assessments and fund raising.
V. Germantown Special Services
District
The GSSD originated to answer
concerns of local businesses and residents in the areas of
safety and cleanliness. The general sentiment was that if
the Central Germantown Business Corridor were cleaner and
had better policing it would be more attractive to retail
customers. To address these issues the GSSD was formed as a
Municipal Authority with start up funding through the City
Commerce Department. As a Municipal Authority, GSSD, has the
authority to assess local property owners to support private
street cleaning. The GSSD has functioned for more than eight
years but has lost city funding to cover it’s short fall.
There is insufficient tax base to fully fund the GSSD and we
are seeking institutional and private funding so that we can
maintain the exemplary work of the past.
Germantown Special Services
District has received very positive responses from the
business corridor and residents, most are pleased with the
cleanliness of the area. The GSSD initially added a Police
Bike Patrol to the business corridor but the police
department has since reassigned them. We recently raised
money which allowed us to help the department to update the
bike patrol’s bikes so that hey could return to
patrolling the business corridor.
Future plans for the GSSD include
promoting cleanliness and safety through presentations and
promotions in local schools, institutions, and community
organizations. They will also coordinate neighborhood
cleanups to remove graffiti and create community pride.
Rev. LeRoi Simmons,
Executive Director,
Central Germantown
Council
