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Is Your Business Doing Anything Special for 2nd Saturdays?

Hi Germantown Business Owners!

My name is Charity Frye and I am the new team member here at Germantown United CDC! My role here is as Business Support Coordinator, so I am so elated to get to introduce myself to you all here and in person as I stop by in the coming weeks to see how we can support your businesses and work to better Germantown together!

I am writing to share some exciting news regarding our upcoming “Second Saturday” event series, held in partnership with Historic Germantown! Attached are flyers and more information that you are encouraged to share with your customers on social media. I have attached a few flyer options, and we also have postcard style cards we’ve been dropping off around the area – feel free to reach out if you want some for your business!

As we prepare for these community events, we are reaching out to local businesses to encourage your participation. This is a wonderful opportunity to draw in neighbors and visitors alike and turn them into new customers for your business! We would to help create a festive atmosphere love to see our local establishments offer event-day specials throughout the corridor. Please feel free to get creative!

For example, you might consider running deals such as:

– Special themed items such as a “Second Saturday Sweet Tea”

– Specially priced offerings such as platters, or limited-time products

– Discounted bundles or “buy one, get one” offers

If you plan to run a special or promotion during an upcoming Second Saturday, please let us know HERE , or email [email protected] so that we can help spread the word!

Weavers Way Co-Op Expands to Germantown: A Hub of Local Goodness and Opportunity

Weavers Way Co-Op is gearing up to open a new location right here in Germantown! This exciting venture promises to bring an array of benefits, including increased access to quality local food options, a boost in economic growth, and fresh employment opportunities that promise to invigorate the community.

Open House Success Sets the Stage

The recent Open House held at the soon-to-be Weavers Way Co-Op Germantown location, situated at 328 W Chelten Avenue, witnessed an incredible turnout of over 150 eager participants. Enthusiastic attendees had the unique opportunity to explore the space before the commencement of construction, gaining insights into the store’s plans and the cooperative philosophy driving it forward.

An Investment in Germantown’s Future

While at the Open House, Philadelphia Department of Commerce Director Anne Nadol, alongside Councilmember Cindy Bass, unveiled a $1 million city investment earmarked for the new Germantown location. This strategic move, backed by the efforts of Commerce’s Office of Neighborhood Economic Development team, reflects a commitment to fostering local businesses and propelling our community toward a brighter future.

Left to right: **Anne Nadol** (Philadelphia Department of Commerce Director), **Emaleigh Doley** (Germantown United CDC Executive Director), **James Onofrio** (Senior Director CDC Programs, Office of Neighborhood Economic Development), **Karen Fegely** (Deputy Commerce Director, Office of Policy and Strategic Initiatives), **Yvonne Boye** (Deputy Commerce Director, Office of Neighborhood Economic Development).

Anticipation is building as the construction phase readies to kick off in the upcoming months. Following suit, the recruitment process for pivotal management positions will be in full swing, paving the way for meaningful employment avenues within the community. Germantown United CDC will also play a key role, hosting informative sessions for local business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs keen on stocking their products on the store’s shelves.

The new market is located at the corner of Chelten and Morris. The property was an Acme market until the 1970s. It was last occupied by the JEVS Human Services, and has sat vacant for many years. The new store expects to bring more than 40 jobs to the neighborhood.

While supply chain considerations impact construction timelines, the opening date is yet to be determined. Early 2024 seems likely. (Fingers crossed!) Meanwhile, the adjoining Weavers Way Outreach Office at 326B W Chelten Avenue is buzzing with activity, hosting events and workshops and offering space for community engagement.

*Left to right:* *Councilmember **Cindy Bass** (8th Council District*), Rep. **Darisha Parker** (198th Legislative District), Philadelphia Department of Commerce Director **Anne Nadol**, Congressman **Dwight Evans** (D-PA-3rd)

Mayor Jim Kenney Celebrates Small Business Saturday in Germantown – Watch the Video

Got three minutes?

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s walking tour along historic Germantown Avenue on Small Business Saturday, November 26, 2022, showcased the vital role of small businesses in bringing communities together, shaping local character, and fueling regional economies. From top-notch brick-and-mortar stores to online shops, services, art, and culture, Germantown boasts diverse offerings. These dedicated business owners enrich Germantown’s social fabric, deserving support from residents and visitors alike.

For a glimpse of our shopping, dining, and cultural experiences, watch the video above or stream on YouTube.

Featured:

Pomelo (Kaitlin Orner)
5336 Germantown Ave, 19144, shop-pomelo.com
Perfectly Flawless Boutique (Crystal Jackson)
5312 Germantown Ave, 19144, perfectlyflawless.co
Gaffney Fabrics (Kate Gaffney Lange)
5401 Germantown Ave, 19144, gaffneyfabrics.com
Black Soul Vintage (Tomarra Sankara-Kilombo)
90 E Church Ln, 19144, blacksoulvintage.com
Ubuntu Fine Art (Steven CW Taylor)
5423 Germantown Ave, ubuntufa.com
Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books (Marc Lamont Hill)
5445 Germantown Ave, unclebobbies.com
The KDD Theatre (Kristen Clark)
5427 Germantown Ave, kddtheatre.com
City of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney
Germantown United CDC (Emaleigh Doley and Matthew George)

Also, don’t miss the array of videos on @germantowncdc’s YouTube channel, offering hours of insights into our neighborhood, thoughtfully compiled by our team.

Remember, make the choice to shop small and support local year-round!

Filmed by Steven Michael Studios LLC

At Maplewood Mall block party, opinions vary about upcoming $2.2 million redesign

At Maplewood Mall block party, opinions vary about upcoming $2.2 million redesign (via NewsWorks)

June 25, 2013 By Alaina Mabaso for NewsWorks, @AlainaMabaso “Everybody has a different take. People who have been here longer are jaded. I can understand why people do stop believing.” –Rocio Cabello, co-founder, iMPeRFeCT Gallery”What I’d like to…

(more…)

Buy Local Germantown shopping campaign

Buy Local Germantown shopping campaign lifts up and shines a light on the important role small businesses play in our community

Happening now through Jan. 2023, the Buy Local Germantown campaign features profiles of local business owners, an inside look at shops and products for sale, special offers and shopping events, pop-ups, and winter holiday celebrations. Also included are ways to support our non-profit infrastructure during the holiday season.

Community-minded businesses are true assets to the neighborhood and our local economy. This is just a small taste of all that Germantown has to offer! Our goal is a simple paradigm shift – you don’t need to always leave the neighborhood to shop, dine, give, enjoy time with friends and family. Spend your dollars here to support positive change and sustain revitalization.

Business owner **Crystal Jackson** shows off a sweatshirt at **Perfectly Flawless (**5312 Germantown Ave) to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. This black-owned boutique sells sophisticated, edgy, women’s apparel. Photo by Steven CW Taylor, Ubuntu Fine Art.

Join the movement

Easy ways residents, businesses and organizations can help spread the word about the importance of buying and giving locally!

1. Share the link to the Buy Local Germantown page on social media, in emails, texts with your friends and neighbors and encourage them to buy local! New businesses are added daily. Remember, this is just a partial list. Germantown is home to hundreds of terrific small businesses. You can do your part to keep dollars in our community by shopping at any small business in Germantown.

2. Use the campaign hashtag #BuyLocalGermantown! Businesses, use the tag in posts about your business and available products. Shoppers, tag to show off purchases and share your fave businesses.

3. Get to know local business owners and organizations, and see what they have to offer, follow the campaign on GU’s Instagram and Facebook pages – like, comment and share our posts. Look out for special newsletters like this (and encourage people in your network to sign-up for GU’s mailing list to get news directly).

A look at participating businesses

Hafiz Sisters Beauty Supply
59 W Chelten Ave, 19144
Black-owned, Family-owned
hafizsistersbeautysupply.com
follow: FB, IG

This shop specializes in Black hair products, tools and accessories, and extensions. It is owned by Attiya Flournoy and Zainab Moore, the Hafiz Sisters! Their husbands, Jerrell Flournoy and Thomas Moore, are co-owners, often working alongside them in the shop. It’s all in the family. In December, the shop will offer special discounts, gift items and baskets for the holidays. They also sell gift cards. Make it your business to support this young, family-owned biz now and year round.

Aaliyah’s Beautique
6352 Germantown Ave, 19144
267-668-6965
Black-owned, Women-owned
aaliyahsbeautique.com
follow: IG

On Monday, Dec. 19, 12-7PM, stop in for the Sip & Shop experience at Aaliyah’s Beautique. Shop a fabulous selection of jewelry, handbags, apparel and much more for yourself or that favorite someone, while enjoying complimentary wine, hot chocolate, and hors d’oeuvres. Attendees on that day will receive 10% off their entire purchase. Be sure to say hello to business owner Tameka Austin-McGee! While you’re there, check out Aaliyah’s festive window display, decorated with one of GU’s complimentary Seasonal Holiday Decoration Kits! Details on our decorating contest are included below.

The KDD Theatre
5427 Germantown Ave, 19144
267-331-9236
Black-owned, Women-owned
kddtheatre.com, follow: IG

A black box performance space and dance studio. Currently on view through Dec. 20: Supine Horizons, curated by Nicole Pollard. Tickets are free for this immersive installation for rest, resistance and renewal, featuring synthesized sound and projected visuals by local multimedia artist Gralin Hughes, Jr. (Television Sky).
The KDD Theatre is also home to Kinesics Dance Dynamics dance studio, owned and operated by Kristen Clark. KDD offers structured leveled classes in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Modern styles to movers ages 2 through adult.
Suggested reading: Power nap: ‘Supine Horizons’ promotes the political urgency of taking a break at Germantown installation [WHYY]

Truelove Seeds
trueloveseeds.com, follow: IG

Cyber Monday is over but Germantown businesses reliant on online sales need customers. Truelove Seeds grows 50% of the culturally important, open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds sold in their catalogue. The rest come from 55 small farms in Philly and beyond, all linked by shared values of community food sovereignty, ancestral seed preservation and sustainable agriculture. You can support by purchasing seeds and print items online. Their beautiful 2023 wall calendar is now on sale!
Pictured: Co-Founders (and Germantown residents!) Chris Bolden-Newsome and Owen Taylor. Photo by Neal Santos.

If you own a local business (including online, vendors, creators) or non-profit in 19144 or 19138, fill out this questionnaire to join. It’s quick!

About the campaign

Germantown United CDC officially launched the campaign on Small Business Saturday (Nov. 26), kicking off with a walking tour of seven businesses along the Germantown Avenue corridor with Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, his fiancé Letitia Santarelli, and an entourage of city officials and employees, including Councilmember Cindy Bass who represents Germantown, Philadelphia Department of Commerce Director Anne Nadol, and GU’s Executive Director Emaleigh Doley and Business Development Manager Matthew George. The Mayor’s visit was covered by WHYY, generating positive buzz for all of Germantown’s business community. Check out the full story and stream the radio segment featuring interviews with G-town business owners. Thanks to journalist Sammy Caiola for coming out to Germantown!

A brief excerpt from the WHYY story:

Germantown business leaders launched the shopping season with multiple Small Business Saturday events, hoping to entice consumers who might be wary considering signs of a possible economic downturn. The largely-Black neighborhood — which has a rich anti-slavery history — has seen investment and revitalization in recent years, particularly along the Germantown Avenue corridor.

“Really it’s a kept gem in Philadelphia,” said Matthew George, business development manager for the Germantown United Community Development Corporation. He said local businesses have benefited from a combination of neighborhood cleanup efforts and assistance from the City of Philadelphia.

“I’ve seen the energy change,” he said. “I’ve seen the avenue come alive. We always look to these other neighborhoods as, ‘Oh, we should have something like that,’ and what I see is the business owners in this area wanting that as well and creating their own renaissance.”

Access the full story on WHYY >>

Buy Local Germantown

Save the date! Small Business Saturday is Nov. 26

November 26th is Small Business Saturday – a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. We know that businesses need our support now more than ever as they continue to navigate, retool and pivot from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. GU is encouraging shoppers and the greater Germantown community to support small businesses in our neighborhood this holiday season and into the New Year, asking folks to share their favorite businesses with friends, discover a new business, and buy local and give local! It is on us to support our businesses and ensure we are doing our part to keep Germantown’s economy healthy.

Tips for Small Business Saturday

Register for the official Shop Small campaign to add your business to the map. Already have a listing? Check to see if it’s updated with your latest information. [Shop Small]
5 Tips to Make Your Small Business Saturday a Success in 2022 [Main Street America]
Ideas for Your Social Media [Buffer]
More Shoppers Will Engage In Their Communities On Small Business Saturday 2022 [Forbes]
Use hashtags! #BuyLocalGermantown #ShopGtownPhilly #ShopPHL

New Farmers Market Opens in Germantown

Starting Thursday, June 14, 2018 The Food Trust’s newest farmers market opens in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, as a place for community members to gather, purchase healthy foods, listen to music, enjoy arts and cultural programming, and take advantage of free community resources. The market, hosted in collaboration with Germantown United Community Development Corp. and Weavers Way Co-op, will be open to the public through October every Thursday, 3-7 p.m., at Germantown Avenue and East School House Lane.

Shoppers can enjoy:

Fresh fruits & veggies from Zookie’s Produce
Cooking demos by The Food Trust nutrition educators
Nuts, dried fruit, coffee, granola and other sustainably sourced bulk and packaged foods from Weavers Way Co-op
Community resources, music, arts & entertainment sponsored by Germantown United CDC
Food truck fare and prepared foods, including Ashbell’s Smokehouse Deli

Germantown & School House Farmers Market is located in Market Square Park, a previously underutilized neighborhood park and public space. This site was chosen because of its historic significance as a market at the founding of Germantown; visibility from heavily trafficked Germantown Avenue; proximity to Historic Germantown sites, including the Historical Society and the Germantown White House; proximity to religious, business and educational institutions including Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity’s Germantown alumni chapter; accessibility to transit including the SEPTA Route 23 bus which stops at the market; availability of parking; and its potential for revitalizing this storied block of Germantown’s business district.

The location of the market is also the site of the annual Germantown Second Saturday Festival, which has brought renewed attention and interest to Germantown and Market Square Park. In 2017, this picturesque block of Germantown Ave welcomed three new and thriving businesses: Kinesics Dance Dynamics, Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee and Books, and Germantown Day School.

About The Food Trust
The Food Trust, a nonprofit founded in 1992, strives to make healthy food available to all. Working with neighborhoods, schools, grocers, farmers and policymakers, The Food Trust has developed a comprehensive approach that combines nutrition education and greater availability of affordable, healthy food. To learn more about The Food Trust, visit thefoodtrust.org.

About Germantown United CDC
Germantown United Community Development Corporation’s (GUCDC) mission is to promote and facilitate the revitalization of Germantown and its business corridors through a sustainable, creative, and community-driven approach to economic development. To learn more, visit germantownunitedcdc.org.

About Weavers Way
A member-owned cooperative grocery with locations in Northwest Philadelphia and Ambler, Weavers Way offers a friendly shopping environment and reasonably priced, high-quality products that are local, sustainable, organic, fairly traded and healthful. For more info, visit weaversway.coop.

Download press release (PDF).

# # #

Celebrate Small Business Saturday in Germantown on November 26

Get up, get out and #ShopSmall on November 26, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It’s a special holiday created so communities can show love for small businesses like ours. And it wouldn’t be a celebration without customers like you visiting Germantown businesses! Celebrate Small Business Saturday with us!

Karen Singer Tileworks Celebrates 25 years in Germantown with Celebration on Nov. 25

Every year Germantown United CDC commissions longtime Germantown business Karen Singer Tileworks Inc. to design a commemorative tile featuring an iconic G’town building. So far, we’ve created tiles of Town Hall and the YWCA. This year we’re asking YOU to help us pick.

The buildings we’re considering include the historic Loudoun Mansion at 4650 Germantown Ave, Germantown High School at 40 High St, and Vernon House (Black Writer’s Museum) at 4800 Germantown Avenue in Vernon Park. Vote on which building you’d like to see made into a tile this year! One lucky voter will win a decorative tile. Vote online here.

This holiday season, Karen Singer Tilesworks will celebrate 25 years in business in Germantown with a celebratory party and seasonal sale on Friday, November 25^th from 4 – 8 p.m. at the tile studio, located at 90 E Church Lane, Philadelphia, Pa. 19144. ‘Tis the season to shop small and buy local! Read on to learn more about Karen’s contributions to the Germantown community and support this independent business.

Karen Singer Tileworks Celebrates 25 years in Germantown
November 25^th marks the day! Start off the holiday season at KST Studio

Anniversary Sale-A-Bration November 25^th, 25% off gallery items, until Dec 25^th… Get it?
www.KarenSinger.com

Celebrate with KST, 25 years of story telling through art tiles, murals, and donor walls. 25 years of helping non-profits create a visual representation of their mission, 25 years of giving back to the community of Germantown and Greater Northwest.

Karen has her studio and home in Germantown for 25 years and is going strong. She is not only of this Germantown community but she is fully engaged in it. As a former Pa Arts in Education Resident Karen has conducted workshops engaging students in the art making process and installed tiled murals in Houston Elementary, Kelly Elementary among others and done the same at Project Learn and Henry School pro bono as part of her ethic of giving back to the community.

She is part of the fundraising committee at Germantown United CDC creating an annual tile representing an aspect of Germantown history, as a fundraising incentive for those who donate a certain amount thereby helping sustain the good works of GUCDC.

Please join us November 25^th from 4 – 8 p.m.

Karen Singer Tileworks
90 E Church Lane
Philadelphia, Pa. 19144

RES to complete Chelten Avenue Commercial Corridor Market Study and Revitalization Strategy

Germantown United Community Development Corporation (GUCDC) has retained Real Estate Strategies, Inc. (RES) to conduct a market study and develop a revitalization strategy for the Chelten Avenue commercial corridor in Germantown. GUCDC is actively working to bolster and reinforce the vibrancy of Chelten Avenue to meet the needs of the surrounding community, attract visitors from outside the immediate neighborhood, and provide employment opportunities for neighborhood residents. Building on these efforts, the purpose and objectives of this study are to explore opportunities to strengthen and diversify the mix of commercial uses in the corridor, the potential to reuse vacant or underutilized properties, business and job attraction strategies, and available sources of funding to support recommended revitalization strategies.

RES provides advisory services in real estate and economic development and has extensive experience in preparing market analyses and developing revitalization strategies for commercial corridors and neighborhoods in Philadelphia and throughout the greater mid-Atlantic region. Additionally, RES principals have over 25 years of experience working on development plans and initiatives in the Germantown neighborhood. Careful market research underpins all RES engagements, with the understanding that the best business attraction and economic development strategies begin with a realistic understanding of market dynamics.

The mission of Germantown United Community Development Corporation (GUCDC) is to promote and facilitate the revitalization of the business corridors in the Germantown neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia through a sustainable, creative, and community-driven approach to economic development. Learn more at www.germantownunitedcdc.org.

Germantown Second Saturday Festival is Saturday, May 14, 2016, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2016

Historic Germantown and Germantown United CDC present
Germantown Second Saturday Festival, Saturday, May 14
Eat. Shop. Play. Learn. Experience Germantown!

WHAT: Germantown Second Saturday Festival, presented by Historic Germantown and Germantown United Community Development Corporation. Featuring: A pop-up dance performance by BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet; Art & Craft Marketplace; Live Music; Food Trucks; Historic Re-enactors; Family Friendly Programs; Free Bus Tours to Historic Germantown Sites; and more.

WHEN: Saturday, May 14, 2016 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Market Square Park (5501 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19144); Germantown Avenue between School House Lane and Coulter Street

Germantown, Philadelphia, PA – The Germantown Second Saturday Festival will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2016 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Northwest Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood. The festival will take place along a one-block stretch of Germantown Avenue, between School House Lane and Coulter Street, and surround Market Square Park (5501 Germantown Avenue). Rain or shine.

The community festival, presented by Historic Germantown and Germantown United Community Development Corporation, invites the public to experience Germantown. The festival will celebrate the kick-off the Second Saturday series–when all 16 Historic Germantown sites are open monthly–and showcase the many thriving cultural, civic and business attractions and activities that make Germantown an exciting place to live and visit.

Throughout the day, musicians, poets, and creative performing artists will take to the main stage on Germantown Avenue. BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet, will present a 45-minute pop-up dance performance from 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., thanks to generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. BalletX unites distinguished choreographers with an outstanding company of world-class dancers to forge new works of athleticism, emotion, and grace.

Musical talent includes popular local artists: Amari Rebel, Bethleham and Sad Patrick, Clef Club Youth Jazz Ensemble, Jim Dragoni, and many others. Germantown resident Yolanda Wisher, the City of Philadelphia’s Poet Laureate, will host the festivities.

Visitors will learn about Historic Germantown’s 16 extraordinary historic houses, destinations, and museums at the festival, including Awbury Arboretum, Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, Grumblethrope, and Wyck. The adventurous can board free bus tours to Historic Germantown sites, located throughout Germantown, departing from the Festival’s main area (register for bus tours in advance at freedomsbackyard.com). Throughout the day, historic reenactors will share neighborhood history.

Pictured: Market Square Park

Over 30 vendors will participate in the Art & Craft Marketplace, coordinated by Germantown United CDC. Local Germantown eateries and visiting food trucks including The Lunchbox, a specialty peanut butter and jelly food cart, will be on-site. Attendees can also get to know many of Germantown’s civic and community organizations, including Episcopal Youth Mission, Friends of Vernon Park, Germantown Artists Roundtable, and Germantown Life Enrichment Center. Alongside Germantown United CDC, city planners from the Philadelphia City Planning Commission will share development plans for key Germantown sites.

The Germantown Second Saturday Festival is a new venture, and combines Germantown United CDC’s Re-imagining Maplewood Mall Festival and Historic Germantown’s Second Saturday Season Opener. In an effort to bring renewed attention and interest to a little-used neighborhood park and public space and more broadly promote the Second Saturday series, Germantown United CDC relocated their annual spring festival to Market Square Park and joined forces with Historic Germantown.

Schedule of Live Music & Performances

Performance start times are approximate.

12:00 p.m. Festival Start Time
12:00 p.m. Welcome and Kick-off from Yolanda Wisher, City of Philadelphia’s Poet Laureate
12:10 p.m. Settlement Music School Adult Jazz Band
12:30 p.m. Wissahickon Dance Academy (modern and jazz)
1:00 p.m. BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet
1:45 p.m. Irma Gartner as “Dinah” (historical reenactor)
2:00 p.m. Bethlehem and Sad Patrick (singer/guitarist)
2:12 p.m. Adam Monoco (singer/mandolin)
2:25 p.m. Clef Club Youth Jazz Ensemble
2:43 p.m. Lillian Hightower (vocalist)
2:55 p.m. Yolanda Wisher and the Culture Keepers (poetry)
3:05 p.m. Wissahickon Dance Academy (tap and hiphop)
3:15 p.m. Jim Dragoni (musician)
3:30 p.m. Karen Smith (drummer)
3:50 p.m. Dominique London (poetry/vocalist)
4:05 p.m. Amari Rebel (singer/drummer – band)
4:20 p.m. Ashley Phillips (vocalist)
4:40 p.m. prod (drummers/band)
4:55 p.m. Yolanda Wisher (poet)
5:00 p.m. Festival End Time

Public Transit & Parking

The festival is accessible by SEPTA. Bus Routes: 23 Bus, XH Bus; Chestnut Hill East Regional Rail: Germantown Station (150 E Chelten Ave). Visit septa.org for schedules.

Street parking is available beyond the festival grounds. The 5400 block of Germantown Ave and the unit block of E Church Ln will be closed to all traffic from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. for the Festival.

Free off-street parking is available thanks to our generous community partners. Parking lots are located at:

Citizens Bank Lot
5500 Germantown Ave (enter lot from W Schoolhouse Ln)

Wells Fargo Lot
5500 Germantown Ave (enter lot from W Schoolhouse Ln)

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church & Germantown Friends School Lot
SE Corner of 5300 block of Germantown Ave & E Coulter St (enter lot from Germantown Ave or E Coulter St)

About

Historic Germantown
Historic Germantown is a partnership organization serving historic sites in Philadelphia’s Old German Township that works collaboratively to preserve its extraordinary historic assets, increase access, interpret them to the public and raise their visibility. Learn more at freedomsbackyard.com.

Germantown United CDC
The mission of Germantown United Community Development Corporation (GUCDC) is to promote and facilitate the revitalization of the business corridors in the Germantown neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia through a sustainable, creative, and community-driven approach to economic development. Learn more at http://germantownunitedcdc.org.

BalletX
BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet, unites distinguished choreographers with an outstanding company of world-class dancers to forge new works of athleticism, emotion, and grace. Founded in 2005 by Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, and now under the direction of Cox as Artistic & Executive Director, BalletX challenges the boundaries of classical ballet by encouraging formal experimentation while preserving rigorous technique. The company is committed to producing new works of the highest quality and integrity that bring the combined visions of choreographers and dancers to life and cultivate in audiences a collective appetite for bold, new dance.

With generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, in its 10th Anniversary 2015-16 Season BalletX presents a series of 10 free pop-up performances around the Philadelphia community. Visit www.BalletX.org to find out where the company will be next!

Press Contacts

Emaleigh Doley
Commercial Corridor Manager
Germantown United CDC
610-331-3758 (mobile)
215-856-4303
[email protected]

Trapeta Mayson
Executive Director
Historic Germantown
215-844-1683, Ext. 101
[email protected]

# # #

GUCDC’s Storefront Activation Program: Pairing Local Artists and Makers with Germantown Businesses

Call for proposals!

We’re looking for low-cost, high impact projects.

Download the program information below as a PDF file >>

We’re currently accepting proposals for Germantown United CDC’s (GU) Storefront Activation Program – a low-cost, high impact initiative that pairs local artists and makers with neighborhood businesses and property owners to upgrade storefront window displays, and interior spaces visible from the street. The grant program aims to enliven the street for pedestrians, attract more customers to existing businesses, market available commercial properties, and promote Germantown to prospective businesses. If you’re a business and want your storefront redone, or if you’re a maker and have an idea for a project, get in touch with Emaleigh Doley at [email protected].

Examples of Creative Storefronts

Above: Inspiration for the Storefront Activation Program. Below: Looking out from inside The Sugar Bowl at 6104 Germantown Ave. The Sugar Bowl is participating in the Storefront Activation Program! Do you have an idea for how to remake their window display? Get in touch today!

Program Description

Storefront Activation Program
Pairing Local Artists and Makers with Germantown Businesses

Download the program information below as a PDF file >>

Germantown United CDC’s (GU) Storefront Activation Program (SAP) is a low-cost, high impact initiative that pairs local artists and makers with neighborhood businesses and property owners to upgrade storefront window displays, and interior spaces visible from the street.
The SAP supports GU’s efforts to revitalize Germantown’s business corridors by strengthening current businesses, activating street-level storefronts, and improving the overall appearance of the corridor by adding a visual richness to the walkway. The grant program also aims to enliven the street for pedestrians, attract more customers to existing businesses, market available commercial properties, and promote Germantown to prospective businesses.

The Storefront Activation Program will:

Activate 5 or more storefronts (occupied or vacant) located on Germantown Avenue, Chelten Avenue, or Maplewood Mall using temporary or long-term window displays, or interior displays visible from the street, created by Germantown artists
Provide Germantown artists with an employment opportunity
Help business owners of occupied buildings better market their businesses; and help the property owners of vacant commercial buildings market vacant spaces to prospective tenants

What we are looking for:

Eye-catching, creative displays in storefront windows (temporary or permanent)
Displays that generate awareness and draw from the products/services offered by the business, helping to market the business in a unique way; displays can also be seasonal or holiday-themed; Germantown or neighborhood history-related subjects can also be explored
Collaboration with the business/property owner in the creative process; the artist/maker may also work with other artists, students, and community members
Projects that can be implemented quickly and make an immediate impact; the installation timeframe should be short and no more than 10 days

Participating artists and makers will provide:

Design renderings and/or a written summary of the project
Estimated project budget, including stipend and materials
Labor for installation and de-installation (if temporary)

Germantown United CDC will provide:

Financing for the project including full cost of supplies
Artist stipends, based on the agreed-upon budget for each individual project
Serve as an intermediary between artists and business/property owners
Promote the program and completed projects via GU’s website and social media networks, and select press outreach

Project budgets may range from $250 to $2,500.

Projects that re-use and re-purpose materials, and include in-kind donations of supplies and materials are highly encouraged; Germantown United CDC can assist with outreach to potential partners.

The duration of the displays will be determined in part by the each participating business or property owner.

Got questions?

Contact GU’s SAP Project Lead:
Emaleigh Doley, Commercial Corridor Manager

Germantown United CDC
5219 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Email: [email protected]
Office: 215-856-4303
www.germantownunitedcdc.org

This grant is supported by PNC Charitable Trusts, which manages the Rowell Family Foundation.

Eco-friendly innovators tell Germantown forum attendees how easy it is to be green

May 10, 2013

By Alaina Mabaso for NewsWorks, @AlainaMabaso

A diverse panel of local innovators shared details of their eco-friendly urban projects at Germantown United Community Development Corp.’s second annual community forum on Wednesday night.

The “It IS Easy Being Green” event drew a large crowd to the Flying Horse Center on Pulaski Street near Chelten Ave. in Germantown.

Before the panel discussion, attendees perused a “trade show” of tables from groups including Awbury Arboretum, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the John B. Kelly School’s “Kelly Green” grounds initiative, the Philadelphia Streets Department and the Sustainable Business Network.

Molly Finch, an educator with the Tookany-Tacony-Frankford Watershed, passed out small packets of sunflower seeds and suggested “guerrilla planting” for those without their own gardens.

“Stuff like this,” she said of the forum, “should be happening more often.”

The keynote address

GUCDC Board President Andy Trackman introduced moderator and keynote speaker Robert Fleming, associate professor of sustainable design at Philadelphia University.

Fleming, who co-founded the university’s Engineering and Design Institute and its sustainable-design Master’s degree program, led his remarks with childhood memories of Maplewood Mall and Mt. Airy.

Fleming, who also works as an LEED-accredited consultant to firms designing green buildings, showcased real-life statements he encountered from business owners in the nineties.

Vignettes included statements like “the Internet is too slow; it’ll never catch on,” and firms that insisted they didn’t need e-mail or websites because they had telephones and fax machines.

He compared those to naysayers claiming that “green” buildings will never catch on.

Greening strategies

Fleming then referenced a series of events that have left people with a fearful eye for the future, environmental or otherwise. Those included Hurricane Katrina, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, the BP oil spill, the Fukushima nuclear disaster and Hurricane Sandy.

Fleming said those pressing problems leave him wanting “a more holistic view of what sustainability can be,” noting that AbrahamMaslow’s hierarchy of needs should be a model for viable greening efforts.

Specifically, he said that clean air, water and good food should underlie diverse and inclusive communities with strong economies. To top it all off, “green” efforts must be artfully crafted, to satisfy a human need for beauty, Fleming maintained.

Panelists speak

Seven panelists then shared a range of projects with the crowd.

Christine Knapp, director of strategic partnerships at the Philadelphia Water Department, spoke about the problem of urban storm-water management.

She explained the difference between “combined” sewer systems (comprising 60 percent of Philadelphia’s sewers) which cause dangerous overflow when sewage and stormwaters mingle, and “separate” ones, which help prevent flooding by giving sewage and storm-water different underground pathways.

Knapp touted solutions like rain barrels, rain gardens, roof plantings, porous pavement and increasing the number of trees planted in the city as efforts that would beautify as well as tackle sewer woes.

Obesity and re-entry

Representing the Food Trust, Dwayne Wharton pointed to a small drop in the obesity rates of city youth.

That reduction followed a range of healthy food-access initiatives like eliminating soda drinks and fryers in school cafeterias and a proliferation of city farmers’ markets that accept SNAP benefits.

The purpose of those moves was to “make the healthy choice the easy choice,” Wharton said.

Kelly Maillie, an AmeriCorps intern with the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, described a program called “Roots to Re-Entry” which trains Philadelphia Prison System inmates in food growing and landscape management.

The program, which also helps with former inmates’ job placement, was sparked by PHS’ City Harvest and currently helps to feed about 1,200 needy families per week.

Rockland Street, graffiti and storefronts

From there, Germantown sisters Aine and Emaleigh Doley spoke about their “West Rockland Street Project” which, without the help of any official structure or umbrella supporter, has revitalized a block of Southwest Germantown.

The neighborhood activists spoke about their successful efforts to remove blighted buildings, reduce dumping, build gardens, foster community engagement and even increase voter registration through a string of targeted events and initiatives.

Germantown artist and muralist Zack Bird shared his efforts to cover rampant graffiti on the Wissahickon’s stately stonework.

His before-and-after photos demonstrated that a sealed faux-finish, done with discarded house paints, can restore the appearance of stone without the costly and damaging removal work of sand-blasting.

Vivian Nabeta, who serves as New Haven, Ct. director of arts, culture and tourism, shared that city’s successful “Project Storefront” program, which livens up corridors by helping artists and entrepreneurs get into formerly vacant retail spaces.

Panelists at GUCDC’s “It IS Easy Being Green” forum spoke in Germantown about eco-friendly accomplishments. (Alaina Mabaso/for NewsWorks)

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/54596-eco-friendly-innovators-tell-germantown-forum-attendees-how-easy-it-is-to-be-green?linktype=hp_topstorylist

RE-Start Germantown

PATHMARK Update

Dear Germantown residents

This is a follow up to the community meeting with Pathmark Managers, Jeff Kelly and Rashad Waleed, on Wednesday, October 2, 2013.

We recognize that a store manager of a corporate-owned chain of stores generally has limited authority to make changes to a single facility without the express approval and resources of the Corporate Headquarters. For this reason, GUCDC scheduled a meeting with the two local managers in late October to develop a joint strategy to approach Pathmark’s corporate office in order to address the concerns the community raised during the October 2nd meeting.

At the meeting, Jeff gave us the following update on what he has done following the October 2 meeting:

Hired five new local residents
Ordered and installed new end cap displays from national vendors, such as Keebler, Nabisco, and Frito-Lay
Hired a new security guard service
Stocked hormone-free meats
Installed a new large gluten-free section

After this initial meeting, we are requesting meetings with key Pathmark corporate managers who have the authority to act on addressing our concerns. Additionally, we plan to use photographs of other Pathmark stores, as well as that of competitive supermarkets with similar demographics, to demonstrate the validity of options Pathmark can take to improve quality as well as to increase its revenues.

Our meetings with Corporate will inform of us of what improvements Pathmark is willing to provide, as well as those that may require additional work by the community to achieve. We will then work with the community to develop an advocacy strategy. The initial petition from the October 2^nd meeting has been submitted, which provides Corporate with a sense of what the community would like to see changed. Advocacy for assistance from our public officials will also be important in requesting such improvements. We are fortunate that Councilwoman Cindy Bass has already expressed her interest in working to assure that Germantown has a higher quality supermarket experience.

Germantown United CDC will continue to provide updates on its progress, and we encourage you and your neighbors to frequent Pathmark for your grocery shopping needs. In so doing, you will have even more direct information and capacity to provide the store manager, Jeff Kelly, as well as Germantown United with your suggestions for improvements. Our community commitment has to be broad, unified and deep in order to leverage the initiative and interest by the local store managers in moving to impress Corporate with this strong market opportunity. Germantown United needs such grassroots community power to push for these changes.

Thank you for your attention, interest and work on improving Germantown’s commercial corridor.

Rendell delivers pep talk at Germantown United CDC’s inaugural fundraiser (Newsworks)

Rendell delivers pep talk at Germantown United CDC’s inaugural fundraiser (via NewsWorks)

It can happen. Over and over, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell stressed that simple, but important, phrase as he spoke Thursday night to a room filled with Germantown residents who desperately want to turn the neighborhood’s fortunes around. “Anything…

(more…)

The BIG G: Gentrification in Germantown

“The Big G: Gentrification in Germantown: How it works, and for whom?”

A blue-ribbon panel will be moderated by Alan Greenberger, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development for the City of Philadelphia. The panel includes:

Colvin W. Grannum, President & Chief Executive Officer Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation;
Betty Turner Co-Founder, President at Germantown Community Connection
Nora Lichtash, Executive Director Women’s Community Revitalization Project (WCRP)
Steve Mullin, President and Principal of Econsult Solutions.

The Forum this year has expanded from past Forums to become an all-day event, in that there will be a morning panel discussion followed by four facilitated roundtable discussions in the afternoon. The roundtable discussions will permit community engagement in a conversation in order to promote awareness, solutions, and actions. Registration for the event starts at 8:30 am, and the panel discussion starts at 9:00am. After lunch, the workshops will be facilitated for an hour and a half, with report-outs to the general group beginning at 3 pm. Topics for the roundtable discussions are: Sustainable Development of Vacant Property, Commercial Corridor Economic Development, Preserving Housing Affordability, Human Capital and Building Community Capacity. The roundtable facilitators are Kimberlee Douglas, Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture Program, Philadelphia University; Robert Fleming, Associate Professor and Director MS in Sustainable Design Program, Philadelphia University; Ingrid R. Shepard, Founder and Executive Director, The One Less Foundation; and Garlen Capita, Senior Urban Designer / Associate, Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC; and Nora Lichtash, Executive Director, WCRP.

The event will wrap up at 4 pm.

In addition to the presentations and discussions, a Resource Fair, comprised of community organizations, will have tables set up for attendees to mingle among, network with and continue the conversation.

Our Third Annual Community Forum is Free and Open to the public but you must register as seating is limited.

Register Now!

Funding opportunities for local businesses

The Merchant Fund’s Business Stabilization grant (deadline approaching: September 15!) and the City of Philadelphia’s Storefront Improvement Program (SIP) are currently accepting applications from small businesses looking to grow their business or improve their storefronts. Read on to learn about eligibility requirements.

Want to know how Germantown United CDC can support a grant application for your business? Get in touch with GU’s Corridor Manager Emaleigh Doley at [email protected].

The new Rita's Water Ice at 5815 Wayne Avenue is the recipient of a Storefront Improvement Program (SIP) reimbursable grant. Photo by Germantown resident Bob McKee. — The new Rita’s Water Ice at 5815 Wayne Avenue is the recipient of a Storefront Improvement Program (SIP) reimbursable grant. Photo by Germantown resident Bob McKee.

The Merchants Fund – Business Stabilization Grants

Deadline: Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Application & more info: merchantsfund.org/grants/stabilization

The Merchants Fund is offering Business Stabilization grants of up to $10,000 to help small businesses remain stable and viable in the face of economic challenges, changes and crisis. The Merchants Fund is committed to providing for the economic needs of the merchant community with modest grants. Merchants must be located in Philadelphia for a minimum of three years. The application process is competitive. The Merchants Fund lists a number of tips on their website and noted that many successful applicants for grants have partnered with a sponsoring agency such as a community development corporation, like GU, which can assist the applicant before and after the grant process.

TIP: Learn first-hand how Germantown businesses are already benefitting from these funding opportunities. Artisan tile making company Karen Singer Tileworks, located in Germantown just off Germantown Avenue, benefited from critical funding from The Merchants Fund in 2014. The grant aided in costs needed for the studio’s new air filtration system. Read more.

City of Philadelphia – Storefront Improvement Program (SIP)

Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Application + more info: business.phila.gov/storefront-improvement-program

The city’s Storefront Improvement Program is back in action thanks to the successful “Save SIP” campaign. (Suggested reading: Philadelphia Saves Small But Powerful Storefront Design Program.) The program is now accepting applications according to the original assistance formula, which was designed to get more businesses to participate by lowering the barriers to entry. The purpose of SIP is to encourage businesses and property owners within targeted neighborhood commercial corridors, like Germantown, to improve their storefronts, making these areas more attractive to shoppers and growing their vitality and economic performance. The program reimburses owners of commercial buildings and businesses up to 50% of the total cost of eligible improvements, for a maximum reimbursement of $10,000 for a single commercial property or $15,000 for a multiple address or corner business property.

Germantown Business Info Session: Minding Your Business for Maximum Success, Wednesday, March 9

A panel of experts will discuss the importance of establishing a strong team, solid inventory, well managed operations, and a marketing strategy to achieve success at Germantown United CDC’s next Business Info Session, co-organized by The Business Center for Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise. The event will be held on Wednesday, March 9th from 9:00 a.m. – 11 a.m. at the Germantown Historical Society, 5501 Germantown Ave (near School House Lane). After the discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, talk one-on-one with our presenters and network with other local businesses an entrepreneurs in attendance.

Panelists:

Renee Brandon, Principal, Virtual Chief Marketing Officer, Open Door Expressions

Bill Dorsey, Consultant, The Business Center For EntrepreneurshipStephen Robertson, MBA, Executive Change Management Consultant, The Paradigm Group

Victoria Tyson, Owner, Victoria’s Kitchen

Moderators:

Colette deChalus Lee, Lender Relations Specialist, U.S. Small Business Administration

Steve Oakman, Board President, The Business Center For Entrepreneurship

Pamela Rich-Wheeler,MBA, Executive Director, The Business Center For Entrepreneurship

Who can attend?

Anyone who owns a local business, or is interested in opening a business in Germantown is welcome to attend. Programs are FREE to attend.

About the series

Business Info Sessions are held bi-monthly and feature invited speakers who give brief presentations about resources that can benefit local businesses, and updates on GUCDC’s work as it relates to the local business community. All sessions include time for attendees to network, ask questions, and offer feedback.

Event logistics

WHEN

Wednesday, March 9 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

WHERE

5501 Germantown Ave Germantown Historical Society (near School House Lane)
Philadelphia, PA 19144

QUESTIONS?

GUCDC Office: 215-856-4303
Emaleigh Doley, Commercial Corridor Manager: [email protected]

GU’s Germantown Business Info Session series is made possible with support from First Niagara Foundation.

Germantown United CDC featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer today

Parks can be a powerful tool to rescue struggling commercial areas. Pulitzer prize-winning writer Inga Saffron, architecture critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer, recently visited Germantown to tour the newly renovated Vernon Park, which fronts Germantown’s central business district. Read her take on the park’s comeback, neighborhood revitalization, and rising development in Germantown.

The article features Ruth Seeley, the president of the Friends of Vernon Park – the organization that courageously led the charge for the park renovations – alongside Germantown United CDC’s new Commercial Corridor Manager Emaleigh Doley, who discussed the challenges impacting efforts to improve the nearby shopping district.

This is an exciting time for Germantown. If you are energized about the neighborhood’s potential, consider joining one of the many civic groups – like Friends of Vernon Park, your local Registered Community Organization (RCO), or GU’s own volunteer committee – and get involved in moving Germantown forward!

read the full story in The Philadelphia Inquirer

read the full story

Germantown In the News: November + December 2015

Germantown is in the news! Germantown United CDC staff pick your must-reads of the month, with a focus on business, economic development, and neighborhood revitalization news.

Favorite quotes

“The ultimate objective is to present a better Germantown.” – Joe Martin, owner of Acclaim Academy

Screen-Shot-2015-10-05-at-1.04.42-AM-577x324 — Joe Martin discussing with fellow Germantown business owner. Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Neighborhoods.

“On the bright fall morning I visited, Vernon Park was performing according to plan. A half-dozen preschoolers dashed around the playground, their parents and caregivers taking in the sunshine. A couple strolled the paths hand-in-hand while a medical assistant walked briskly to do an errand…” – Inga Saffron, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia-Inquirer-Inga-Saffron-2015.11.06 cropped — Read the full story in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Painters and dancers are transforming our Germantown community in the most amazing way. Art is an equalizer. It levels the playing field.” – Jim Hamilton, Rittenhouse Soundworks

rittenhouse-soundworks — Rittenhouse Soundworks, a brand new 74’ x 62’ performance facility with exposed brick walls and a cathedral-style wooden ceiling in Germantown. Photo by Jim Albert/Full Frame Fotography via Chestnut Hill Local.

“Center City is important to Philadelphia’s health and it always will be, but we cannot ignore the commercial corridors that extend beyond that if we want to have a strong, growing small-business community, a meaningful increase in employment for Philadelphians of color, reduced crime, and a more strong and diversified economy for the long term.” – Mayor-elect Jim Kenney

Photo by Monique Brand. Read about Jim Kenney’s vision for neighborhood business districts in PlanPhilly.

Three questions with Karen Singer, Germantown business owner and tile maker

Longtime Germantown business owner and artist Karen Singer is building on her series of tiles picturing iconic Germantown buildings.

This year’s collectible tile features the historic YWCA building. Germantown United CDC commissioned Singer to create a custom tile as a thank you gift for donors to We Are Germantown, the organization’s annual fundraising campaign (read about the campaign and become a contributor). The first tile in the series featured the Germantown Town Hall. All of the tiles were made at her studio, Karen Singer Tileworks, which is located at 90 E. Church Lane (at the corner of Church and Lena Streets).

We asked Singer three questions about her business and the tile-making process.

What attracted you to the historic YWCA building, which is the focus of your tile this year?

Karen Singer: My plan with the GUCDC Development Committee has been to highlight a Germantown building that has been prominent this year. Thus, last year, we did the Germantown Town Hall, and this year the YWCA. The idea is to continue the series to form a set of collector’s items.

What kinds of tile making techniques are you using to render the facade in clay form?

KS: I am sculpting the original tile in low relief – a combination of building up the surface and pressing into the surface. We then made a plaster mold. We pressed a series of terra cotta tiles off the mold and bisque fired them. I will be sending photos of the bisqued tiles by separate email. We then glazed them with a white glaze, which was painted into the lines and crevices, and then sponged off, to give the tile a stronger contrast, and to mimic the look of mortar between bricks.

How long have you been working in Germantown and where can people see and buy your work?

KS: I started my business in Germantown in 1991, and will be celebrating 25 years in business in 2016. We are a very small staff – only 3 of us at present. Our primary clientele are non-profit organizations. We specialize in large scale ceramic murals designed to create a portrait of each client organization’s mission. We also do custom awards, gifts and naming plaques. We are a great resource for people looking for something that you can’t find commercially made.

The studio is located at 90 E. Church Lane (at the corner of Church and Lena Streets) in a building that has many other artists’ studios. We have tiles available for sale in the studio, which is open by chance or by appointment (best option is to call us at 215-849-7010 before coming by). We tend to be here during normal business hours, 9–5 M-F. In addition, I have a limited amount of work for sale at the Mt. Airy Art Garage.

We also offer tile workshops and parties, either at the studio or at another location. We do these as team-building workshops, birthday parties, girls’ night out events, etc. I particularly love working with people who are convinced they “cannot” make art. I love helping them discover that they can, and that it can be really enjoyable.

Visit karensinger.com to learn more.

Above: The historic YWCA building at 5820-24 Germantown Avenue. Photo taken on December 9, 2015 by Emaleigh Doley. Stabilization and weatherization work is currently underway at the site to prevent the building from any further structural deterioration. This work will also help to make the property more marketable, and aid in stabilizing the commercial corridor. The Redevelopment Authority is expected to reissue a Request for Proposals for redevelopment of the building.

Above: The YWCA tile at bisque stage.

view more images – click to enlarge

Germantown United Community Development Corporation A Finalist For National Trust for Historic Preservation Grant

Presented by National Geographic & American Express

Vote for Germantown, the only finalist in the entire state of Pennsylvania, to receive up to $150,000 in grant funding from American Express.

DOWNLOAD PDF of PRESS RELEASE >>

PHILADELPHIA — September 25, 2017 … As a finalist in the Partners in Preservation: Main Streets campaign, Germantown United Community Development Corporation encourages the public to visit VoteYourMainStreet.org/Germantown to help Germantown United CDC secure funding to preserve two buildings on Germantown Avenue’s business corridor: Parker Hall (5801 Germantown Ave) and John Trower’s building (5706 Germantown Ave). Germantown is the only neighborhood in Philadelphia and the entire state of Pennsylvania participating in this competition.

With the awarded funds, this project will provide necessary facade and structural improvements to these two significant 20th-century African-American historic sites. The history of both buildings dates to the 1870s. Today, Parker Hall contains the office of Dr. Althea Hankins, MD, and the ACES Museum, which pays tribute to multi-ethnic contributions to the U.S. Military in WWII. The museum hosts veterans groups from throughout the country. John Trower’s building is home to the Crab House restaurant, a popular local business. Restoring these facades will benefit these businesses, bolster the historic appeal of Germantown, and increase community pride by highlighting the contributions of African-Americans to the history and culture of this country, in an underserved African-American urban community.

Germantown United CDC’s mission is to promote and facilitate the revitalization of Germantown and it’s business corridors through a sustainable, creative and community driven approach to economic development. GUCDC believes that Germantown’s history and built environment are economic assets upon which to rebuild Germantown’s economy and create equitable economic development. After decades of decline, there are signs of improvement and vibrancy in Germantown.

Partners in Preservation is a community-based partnership, created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express, to raise awareness of the importance of preserving historic places and their role in sustaining local communities.

Partners in Preservation: Main Streets will award $2 million in grant funding from American Express to Main Street districts in need of preservation support across America. The public will determine which sites will receive funding by voting for their favorite main streets through October 31 at VoteYourMainStreet.org, the online voting portal hosted by National Geographic Travel.

Partners in Preservation: Main Streets Open House Weekend

Germantown United CDC will host a public Open House Weekend event at their new storefront office, located at 5320 Germantown Avenue, on Saturday, October 7 from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. to highlight the importance of Main Street preservation efforts in Philadelphia. The Open House will coincide with the Revolutionary Germantown Festival, a neighborhood-wide event honoring the legacy of the Battle of Germantown. Germantown United CDC is one of 25 historic Main Street districts across the country participating in the Partners in Preservation: Main Streets Open House Weekend.

Why Main Street Matters

According to 2016 data from Main Street America, investments in Main Street districts have a significant impact on local economies – encouraging real estate development as well as the creation of new businesses and jobs. In 2016, $4.65 billion reinvested in Main Street improvement programs resulted in 8,042 building rehabilitations, 5,616 business openings, and 27,462 new jobs.

Furthermore, according to a recent study from Morning Consult of 2,201 Americans commissioned by American Express, 79 percent of Americans say that preserving Main Street is important. Additionally, 79 percent of Americans say that the idea of Main Street is what makes America beautiful. Main Street is also seen as vital in connecting Americans to their local community – 82 percent of Americans say that Main Street is important to their ability to socialize with others in a community. A similar amount, 86 percent, say that Main Street is important to the well-being and the enjoyment of a community.

For more information and to vote daily for Germantown United CDC through October 31, visit VoteYourMainStreet.org and share the love via social media using #VoteYourMainStreet and #VoteGermantown.

###

Media Contact:
Jack Cotter
[email protected]
215.867.8060

About Germantown United Community Development Corporation

The mission of Germantown United Community Development Corporation (GUCDC) is to promote and facilitate the revitalization of Northwest Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood and its business corridors through a sustainable, creative, and community-driven approach to economic development. Learn more at http://germantownunitedcdc.org.

About Partners in Preservation

Partners in Preservation is a program in which American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, awards preservation grants to historic places across the country.

Through this partnership, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation seek to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of historic preservation in the United States and to preserve America’s historic and cultural places. The program also hopes to inspire long-term support from local citizens for the historic places at the heart of their communities.

About American Express

American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com, and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.

Key links to products, services and corporate responsibility information: charge and credit cards, business credit cards, Plenti rewards program, travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards, merchant services, Accertify, corporate card, business travel, and corporate responsibility.

About the National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places: www.savingplaces.org.

About Main Street America

Main Street America has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for more than 35 years. Today it is a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, Inc., a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

About National Geographic Partners LLC

National Geographic Partners LLC, a joint venture between National Geographic Society and 21^st Century Fox, combines National Geographic television channels with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic Studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, catalog, licensing and e-commerce businesses. A portion of the proceeds from National Geographic Partners LLC will be used to fund science, exploration, conservation and education through significant ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society. For more information, visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ and find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Germantown Market Square Pop-Up Farmers Market, Sunday, Oct. 8

The Germantown Market Square Pop-Up Farmers Market will be held on Sunday, October 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Market Square Park, located at 5501 Germantown Ave (between School House Ln and Church Ln). The market will feature goods from Wild Flour Bakery, Sweet LadyBug Gluten Free Bakery, Weavers Way Co-op, Lancaster Hummus Company, Germantown Kitchen Garden, and more.

Why a pop-up farmers market? Germantown United CDC, Weavers Way Co-op, and Greener Pastures are assessing the level of interest of consumers in the community for a permanent weekly farmers market. Come experience the pop-up! For more information: 215-856-4303 or [email protected].

Can’t attend? Take this short survey and help us gather information and build a market that provides the products and services you desire. Survey >>

Germantown In the News: June 2017 Recap

Germantown is in the news! Germantown United CDC staff pick your must-reads of the month, with a focus on business, economic development, and neighborhood revitalization news.

Germantown In the News: September 2017 Recap

Germantown is in the news! Germantown United CDC staff pick your must-reads of the month, with a focus on business, economic development, and neighborhood revitalization news.

Germantown Business Info Session: How to Define Your Target Market

Germantown United CDC’s next Germantown Business Info Session, organized in partnership with The Business Center, will be held on Wednesday, July 19 from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. at the Germantown Life Enrichment Center, located at 5722 Greene Street (across from Vernon Park). Start your day with us! Refreshments will be provided.

Meeting Topic

How to Define Your Target Market
Who are your customers in Germantown? Learn about the consumers living and shopping in Germantown, and define the target market for your business.

SPEAKERS: Rojer Kern, Philadelphia Department of Commerce; and Meg Sowell, Real Estate Strategies, Inc.*

***Germantown United CDC has been working with Real Estate Strategies, Inc. (RES) to conduct a market study and develop a revitalization strategy for the Chelten Avenue commercial corridor in Germantown. The purpose and objectives of this study are to explore opportunities to strengthen and diversify the mix of commercial uses in the corridor, the potential to reuse vacant or underutilized properties, business and job attraction strategies, and available sources of funding to support recommended revitalization strategies. At the Business Info Session on July 19, Meg Sowell will speak about her findings thus far.