PHILADELPHIA (June 15, 2026) – SEPTA is seeking Requests for Information (RFIs) relating to development at Germantown Station, a Regional Rail station on the Chestnut Hill East Line.
The station is in the heart of Historic Germantown and serves as a gateway to the Central Germantown Business District. The RFI process will generate additional information from developers to help advance a mixed-use development at the station, specifically on the vacant property at 120-128 Chelten Avenue.
The project is a continuation of SEPTA’s Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Program, which encourages equitable and sustainable community development through the pursuit of joint development opportunities.
“To help grow revenues beyond the farebox, SEPTA is moving forward with joint development opportunities for Transit Oriented Communities,” said General Manager Scott A. Sauer. “These help secure better returns on SEPTA’s real estate assets and promotes equitable and sustainable development around services.”
The primary location targeted for development is the vacant lot at 120-128 East Chelten Avenue. The lot is 61,821 square feet and approximately 1.4 acres.
The concept for development envisions ground floor commercial space, upper floor apartments with a strong affordability component, attractive Germantown station access and a variety of public amenities.
The Authority has coordinated this effort closely with the community of Germantown to create the Germantown Station Area Concept (SAC) Plan. Support for improvements at the site has been echoed by Germantown residents and the Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
Over the years, SEPTA has been approached multiple times regarding developing this property to strengthen the Chelten Avenue commercial corridor, provide housing options and activate the station area.
The station has long been earmarked as a property identified for revitalization by various planning efforts. Most recently, in 2018, the City of Philadelphia adopted the Upper Northwest (UNW) District Plan. This plan recognized Germantown Station’s vital role in driving growth to Central Germantown.
SEPTA’s Germantown SAC reflects the goals of the City’s UNW District plan by identifying vacant and underutilized properties around the station with potential to become mixed-use, mid-rise buildings.
The Germantown SAC is also considering development of SEPTA’s East Armat Street Bridges at 5547 Lena Street and associated wooded properties at portions of 5510-18 Bayton Street. The Authority is open to creative ideas on how these properties can be utilized to advance transit-oriented communities at Germantown Station.
SEPTA in February announced a partnership with Korman Communities and Benchmark Construction to develop the parking lot at Ambler Station with a similar mixed-use concept as part of the TOC program. Other TOC projects in various stages of screening & development include Conshohocken and Langhorne stations.
For more information about SEPTA, please visit septa.org.
###