Aside from the main arteries of Germantown and Chelten Avenues, most of Germantown is zoned for single family homes. So it’s a cause for celebration when we hear about projects that offer any kind of density, especially when those projects aren’t on one of those major corridors. For example, when we saw a 50 unit apartment building nearing completion on Wayne Ave., we decided to go check it out.

5521 Wayne Ave. sits about 500 feet from Chelten Ave. and sits in a transitional location, as the neighborhood changes from big box retailers on the nearby corridor to apartments and homes. The property, which clocks in at just under 10K sqft, has a lengthy commercial history, and was used for a variety of purposes over the years. Recently it served as an adult day care, but over the years it’s been a vocational school, an auto showroom, and a mail order vitamin shop. Perhaps most interestingly, old zoning records indicate the property was once used for Tom Thumb Golf, an early form of miniature golf. The old frontage was profoundly unassuming, but the building was quite large and took up nearly the entire property.

When the property went up for sale in 2021, it was clearly being offered as a development site, given its size and the fact that it’s zoned for mixed-use. Developers bought the property the same year, quickly demolishing the large vacant building on the site. Using two zoning bonuses, the development team was able to get permits for a six-story building with 50 apartments (including 9 affordable units) and retail on the first floor. Thanks to those bonuses along with the base zoning for the property, this project was allowed by right. The building, which is being called The Grove, is now finished and offers a mix of studios, one, and two bedroom apartments.

The design from Canno includes white brick that runs all the way to the top of the front facade. Many projects with an affordability component tend to skimp on the facade materials, but that wasn’t the case here, with the clean design reminding us that an uncomplicated symmetric pattern can be aesthetically satisfying. Further minimizing the visual impact of the new building, the size of the structure is not fully visible from the sidewalk, as the deep lot accommodates a building partially obscured by the nearby tall trees.

In addition to the below market rate units included as part of the zoning bonus, the new apartments are still pretty affordable, as new construction goes. Although the diminished property tax abatement program and new construction tax implemented since this project was permitted in December 2021 may have made residential development a bit harder, this new building would seem to serve as a reminder that new housing with relatively affordable rents can pencil out when the City isn’t imposing parking mandates or severe height restrictions. Unfortunately a building with these dimensions requires a variance in many parts of the city, and that makes the completion of this building all the more exciting.