Germantown United CDC provides cleaning for the Central Germantown commercial corridor five (5) days a week. This includes regularly sweeping the sidewalks, removing trash, litter and other debris, weeding curbs and tree pits, coordinating graffiti removal, and other beautification efforts.
This map shows the area cleaned by Germantown United CDC.
The City designated this cleaning area based on the number of businesses, pedestrian volume, and need for cleaning. GU’s Cleaning team cleans the green corridors daily, and the red three times weekly.
The green circles are trash cans newly added to the ave in July of 2026!
Our Cleaning Ambassadors wear green uniforms. When you see them on the street, please say hello! Only by working together will we create a cleaner, greener, and healthier Germantown.
If you notice something along the corridor that could use our attention contact us.
Germantown United CDC is proud to be part the citywide PHL Taking Care of Business corridor cleaning program. Our cleaning services are provided at no additional cost to businesses and commercial property owners in our service area thanks to funding secured by GU from the Philadelphia Department of Commerce, City of Philadelphia. Learn more about the PHL TCB program below.
Civic Spaces
In addition to maintaining the commercial area, GUCDC has committed to supporting cleaning and maintenance at four public civic spaces within our service area: Vernon Park, The Chelten Greene, Maplewood Mall, and Market Square Park. Civic spaces are an extension of the community and integral components of the Central Germantown corridor. Keeping these spaces cared for and well-maintained will help to foster greater civic engagement, promote economic development, and enhance environmental sustainability in Germantown.
Vernon Park
The Emerald of Germantown is located on the west side of Germantown Ave just north of Chelten Ave. GUCDC will focus on the edge of the park fronting the Germantown Ave corridor. Want to get involved in the park? Join Friends of Vernon Park!
The Chelten Greene
This major bus stop for the SEPTA X and XH routes is located at Greene St & W Chelten Ave. The plaza was renovated by the City of Philadelphia in 2020.
Maplewood Mall
The City of Philadelphia is rebuilding the roadway, sidewalks, and plazas of Maplewood Mall. The City’s goal is to rebuild the Mall as a great public space and shopping street that will help the overall improvement of Central Germantown. GUCDC’s cleaning efforts will focus on the two plazas that bookend the mall, located at Germantown Ave & Armat St and Germantown Ave & Greene St.
Market Square Park
The park is located at 5501 Germantown Ave, between Schoolhouse Ln and Church Ln, in front of the Germantown Historical Society.
Ready, Willing & Able Philadelphia is a recovery house and workforce program that helps men build stable lives through recovery, employment, and independent living. Since 2001, RWA’s “Men in Blue” have supported Philadelphia neighborhoods by providing visible, on-the-ground community improvement work—helping the city “get and stay clean from the sidewalks, up.”
Jeantel Landscaping supports Germantown United CDC’s greened public spaces by providing tree and landscape watering and maintenance at Maplewood Mall, the Chelten Greene bus stop, and along Wayne Avenue (Chelten Ave to Rittenhouse St.). Their work includes weekly watering of landscaped gardens, trees, and tree pits; corrective pruning of newly planted trees; monitoring for disease and pests with appropriate prevention measures; weed control (including keeping weeds trimmed and managed along sidewalks/curbs); edging of sidewalks and pathways to keep defined borders; and proper disposal of all cuttings and debris. Jeantel also provides weekend cleaning support, responds to beautification projects as needed (seasonal touch-ups, special clean-and-green pushes, and targeted improvements), and helps keep the corridor functional year-round through leaf removal in the fall and snow removal in the winter.
If you see their crew out working, it’s part of a larger effort to maintain a cleaner corridor, stronger curb appeal, and a better day-to-day experience for residents, businesses, and visitors.
Our corridor is maintained through a coordinated partnership between two on-the-ground service teams—each with a clear role in keeping the area clean, safe, and welcoming.
Ready, Willing & Able provides routine, visible corridor cleaning throughout the week. Their crews work five days a week to keep sidewalks, corners, and high-traffic areas clear of litter and debris, helping the entire corridor stay consistently clean.
Jeantel Landscaping supports the corridor’s appearance and curb appeal through ongoing landscaping and beautification work. In addition to corridor landscaping across key areas, Jeantel assists with special beautification projects and provides seasonal services like leaf cleanup and snow removal. Jeantel also supports weekend cleaning on Saturday mornings to help keep main corridors looking their best.
There is a growing body of evidence showing how revitalized spaces in blighted urban areas can help improve safety and overall mental health for the surrounding residents – reducing crime, violence, and even feelings of depression.
For Businesses and Commercial Property Owners:
The PHL TCB program is considered supplementary. Cleaning assistance is not a substitute for personal responsibility. Businesses still need to sweep and pickup to ensure the sidewalk in front of your building is maintained. Let’s do this together!
For Residents:
Our cleaning services are part of a new citywide corridor cleaning program called Philadelphia Taking Care of Business (PHL TCB), funded by the Department of Commerce, City of Philadelphia. PHL TCB funds community-based nonprofits to sweep sidewalks and remove litter within neighborhood commercial corridors.
PHL TCB has four main goals:
Increased funding for commercial corridor cleaning—championed by Councilwoman Cherelle Parker and secured by City Council in November 2019—made PHL TCB possible. Learn more about how the program works.
PHL TCB invests in people and small businesses by creating employment opportunities for residents and keeping Philadelphia’s neighborhood commercial corridors clean. Germantown United CDC committed to hiring neighborhood residents. Cleaning Ambassadors:
When the City’s request for proposals (RFP) was issued, the Central Germantown business corridor did not have an active cleaning provider. In the recent past, the corridor benefited from regular sidewalk sweeping and litter removal made possible through a special services district that covered the area. Without dedicated services, trash mounted. The declining physical conditions had a negative impact and contributed to false perceptions of the corridor.
GUCDC’s board reviewed the RFP in 2020 and voted to expand the organization’s services to include corridor cleaning, recognizing the immediate and pressing need for clean streets in Germantown’s primary commercial artery. GUCDC was awarded the PHL TCB contract in August 2020. Cleaning services began in full-force in October 2020. Up until then, GUCDC’s corridor revitalization activities had been limited to providing direct assistance to merchants. We are excited to expand our services and aim to build upon past efforts to make our business and shopping environment clean, safe and accessible.
A Community Greening Plan Focused on Equity and Housing Stability
Germantown Grows Together is an 18-month, resident-led planning initiative dedicated to creating a healthier, cleaner, and greener Germantown—without displacement. Through paid community leadership and strong local partnerships, this project focuses on everyday quality-of-life issues like safer public spaces, improved vacant lots, and environmental health across the 19144 and 19138 zip codes.
