Germantown: Petitioners Want Town Hall to Go from Gloomy to Green

This year, much of Germantown is asking for one thing this holiday season: a redevelopment of Germantown’s Town Hall. With litter collected on the large stone steps of the historic massive building, many are petitioning to transform the crumbling figure into a modern-day LEED-certified (“green”) facility.

With bordering towns such as Mount Airy and Tioga, Germantown petitioners stress that the Town Hall will stand as the “regional center” of the neighborhood. Being said, Town Hall has been the significant architectural keystone at Haines Street and Germantown Avenue. Petitioners hope that by redeveloping the notable building, there is potential to raise the quality of life for people in the Northwest section of Philadelphia. The main prospect of Town Hall is to serve as a location for many of the city offices. Since the building is city property, it would be understandable that these offices include the District Attorney and Justice Center, State Representative Office, 8th Councilmatic District Office, WIC (Women, Infants, Children), Public Assistance, L and I (Licenses and Inspections), and even rooms for community meetings to be held.

Much of Germantown is speckled with historic buildings-- such as The Wyck House and Upsala-- that are inviting to visitors to Philadelphia. However, while driving down Germantown Avenue, many newcomers to the Germantown may wonder what the crumbling mass of history is. The crumbling and acid-worn facade brings a gloomy air to the avenue. As the Town Hall was built in 1855, the white granite columns, detailed dome roof, and sky-scraping clock display historic architecture that modern day architecture can not replicate.

As the building acted as the center of municipal offices for Northwest Philadelphia then, residents today hope that those of the area hope to renovate the building and revitalize its original purpose. The Central Germantown Council puts forward a figure from $10 to $15 million. UCI architects have studied the existing building and evaluated its present-day condition. The main concern is the decaying exterior of Town Hall, focusing on the roof. The first step would be to renovate the roof on the building, and move on to crumbling stone walls. Each wall would need to be resealed, along with replacing the windows. After the outside portion of the building would be set, the inside would need to be update entirely. UCI Architects found that the building did not meet many of today’s building codes-- which include Safety, Electrical, and Plumbing. Overall, a new HVAC and electrical system would need to be installed, along with adequate flooring.

To petition for the renovation of Germantown's Town Hall, sign the petition on-line at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/gth/signatures .

Team 10: Maria Santilli and Kali Wyrosdic