The Future of Norristown

[Avalon08]

If I ever moved back from FL, I think I'd move to Norristown. I grew up there (Plymouth Township) and I've lived a lot of places since then, different towns and different states. I know Norristown is nothing like it was...but I'm nostalgic. I still have friends there and there are still places and traditions that have been around since I was a kid -- such as Lou's Steak Shop, Franzone's Pizza in Bridgeport, Elmwood Park Zoo, Holy Saviour Feast, etc.

[Fly Eagles Fly]

So, the night after I bought my house there were gunshots twenty feet from my back door. But the cops are really nice, hopefully I won't get to know them to well...

There are now four major infrastructure projects the town is pinning its hopes on, all within a few blocks of the Transit Center. Schuylkill River bike trail and Chester Valley Trail will meet there. The new highway interchange of course about a mile east. The renovation of the Hancock Square/Montgomery County courthouse complex. And my favorite, the waterfront redevelopment plan. You walk around the waterfront and it is mostly old industrial run down buidings and equipment. But they are going to basically tear everything down for a mile along the waterfront and do it all to one integrated, pretty awesome designhttps://www.norristown.org/DocumentCenter/View/3518/Norristown-Riverfront-Redevelopment-Study_Final_2019-11-19.

So I really think it is a matter of if, not when. I just don't want to be a senior citizen before it happens!

[Mr. Map Man]

Originally Posted by Fly Eagles Fly

But they are going to basically tear everything down for a mile along the waterfront and do it all to one integrated, pretty awesome designhttps://www.norristown.org/DocumentCenter/View/3518/Norristown-Riverfront-Redevelopment-Study_Final_2019-11-19.

So I really think it is a matter of if, not when. I just don't want to be a senior citizen before it happens!

I've seen quite a few of these re-development/feasibility/future plans, and unfortunately most of them are recommendations and far from a concrete outcome. If you see the hard evidence ie) land acquisition, or demolition, then the plan may be in motion rather than a pipe dream. In some cases, politicians have to spend money in their budget, and so they hand it out to design firms to come up with these studies to make it look like they are doing something. Sad and total waste of money, but it happens. The riverfront plan is a great concept if it were to be officially adopted!

[Pennsport]

Originally Posted by Fly Eagles Fly

So, the night after I bought my house there were gunshots twenty feet from my back door. But the cops are really nice, hopefully I won't get to know them to well...

There are now four major infrastructure projects the town is pinning its hopes on, all within a few blocks of the Transit Center. Schuylkill River bike trail and Chester Valley Trail will meet there. The new highway interchange of course about a mile east. The renovation of the Hancock Square/Montgomery County courthouse complex. And my favorite, the waterfront redevelopment plan. You walk around the waterfront and it is mostly old industrial run down buidings and equipment. But they are going to basically tear everything down for a mile along the waterfront and do it all to one integrated, pretty awesome designhttps://www.norristown.org/DocumentCenter/View/3518/Norristown-Riverfront-Redevelopment-Study_Final_2019-11-19.

So I really think it is a matter of if, not when. I just don't want to be a senior citizen before it happens!

I think the next 5-6 years are going to be very telling for the greater Philadelphia area in general, and potentially no one city/town might be more dependent on the health of the region than Norristown. Continued growth vs. some sort of downturn could tell two very different stories in the re-development of Norristown. It is encouraging that our office space construction is booming right now. Hopefully this isn't all speculation (build it and they will come - fingers crossed) and these construction and business firms have done their research to fill an actual need.

[Fly Eagles Fly]

LOL for some reason it never occurred to me that waterfront plan might not get done. Norristown has an appalling lack of money for basically anything including parks. It also didn't occur to me to wonder who would pay for all that land and demolition and remediation and construction...

[Mr. Map Man]

Originally Posted by Fly Eagles Fly

LOL for some reason it never occurred to me that waterfront plan might not get done. Norristown has an appalling lack of money for basically anything including parks. It also didn't occur to me to wonder who would pay for all that land and demolition and remediation and construction...

In some cases, all it takes is a change to the zoning code to attract developer interest. If those riverfront parcels are zoned for industrial use today, and hypothetically changed to dense-residential tomorrow, you could easily see apartment complexes coming in. Given the effort and money to re-construct Lafayette street, that has to be a desired outcome for Norristown. Wawa already jumped at the opportunity, I'm sure other developments will come to light eventually.