That's not necessarily a bad thing for the community. For years, prominent buildings sat vacant in Germantown, Doley said, among them the Germantown YWCA. For years, the empty community center — a place for meeting and learning, and where many learned to swim — was vulnerable to fires, break-ins, and other problems. Last month, the building was transferred from Philadelphia's Redevelopment Authority to Pittsburgh-based developer KBK Enterprises. Within six months, the developer hopes to begin construction on 47 units of workforce and market-rate housing, with rent prices ranging from 80 to 115 percent of the area's median income, though KBK has indicated that some units may be available to residents who make less.