SEPTA is looking to develop a 3.4-acre parking lot at 35 W. Butler Pike and is seeking a potential mixed-use project that could bring up to 170 multifamily residential units to the site, The Philadelphia Business Journal reported today.
The project, which is next to the Ambler train station, has been in discussion for over two years. In January 2024, SEPTA held an open house on at the Ambler Borough Hall Gymnasium for the so-called “Ambler Station Area Concept.” In May 2023, Ambler’s Borough Council voted to amend its zoning code to replace a portion of the transit-oriented development language that limited transit-oriented development to properties that had frontage along the railroad tracks. The new language that was adopted changed this to be 800 feet in any direction from the platform of the train station within specific zoning districts. The SEPTA parking lot falls within this area.
AroundAmbler.com reported in 2021 that Montgomery County was actively encouraging municipalities with transportation hubs to create density around the stations. This was followed by a 2023 decision by SEPTA to seek to redevelop its parking lots and unused parcels near stations with apartments over retail in an attempt to increase ridership. Ambler is one of a handful of communities on which SEPTA is focusing this effort through a pilot program.
From SEPTA’s webpage regarding the project:
Ambler’s vision for the SEPTA Regional Rail station area encourages the redevelopment of formerly industrial sites into communities where people can live, work, and enjoy Ambler’s downtown while maintaining the distinctive character that makes Ambler so attractive. Redeveloping SEPTA’s surface parking lot fills a hole in lively Downtown Ambler. New mixed-use development can strengthen downtown Ambler in multiple ways.
“We definitely want a developer with a track record of building this type of development,” SEPTA Chief Planning and Strategy Officer Jody Holton told The Journal. “… We want something that fits in with the urban form in Ambler. Sidewalks, street trees, connectivity through walkability to the train station.”
SEPTA is currently looking for a 99-year ground lease with a developer. Ambler Borough officials are interested in an affordable housing component as part of the project, The Journal said.
SEPTA will hold a pre-proposal meeting on Wednesday June 25. The deadline for proposals is July 31, after which point a selection could be made in three to six months, according to The Journal.
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