700+ new homes planned for Norristown | Real Estate Newsletter
And turning school land into homes.
Norristown could be getting its biggest development in recent memory.
A developer’s plan calls for townhouses, apartments, stores, and a “piazza” on 68 acres next to Norristown State Hospital. A borough official says “it’s a comeback.”
Keep scrolling for that story and to find out why a Montgomery County school district is having a hard time selling land to a housing developer, learn some tips for finding movers, and peek inside a Fairmount home designed with kids in mind.
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— Michaelle Bond
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A developer wants to build what would be Norristown’s largest-ever mixed-use development. The plan includes 728 homes — a combo of apartments and townhouses.
“There aren’t a whole lot of opportunities to get 68 acres developed in Montgomery County,” the president of Norristown’s council told my colleague Kevin Riordan.
The $300 million Preserve at Stony Creek would be built on a prominent piece of property that used to be part of the Norristown State Hospital campus.
The development would include a grocery store and other retail space. A proposed tech campus would be built at the site of a former county shelter.
Residents who have seen other development proposals fall apart are skeptical.
Keep reading for more details about the latest proposed development and how much its apartments and townhouses could cost.
Almost a century ago, a Quaker farm owner donated 10 acres to the Hatboro-Horsham School District in Montgomery County. It’s the site of a now-closed school.
The district wants to sell the property to a developer that plans to build homes on it. John and Peggy Ambler are homeowners whose land borders the school property, and they’ve been fighting that plan and mobilizing supporters.
The Amblers aren’t new to advocacy around land. In the ‘80s, they stopped the Army Corps of Engineers from building a dam on nearby open space.
The couple and supporters of their current fight say they worry a sale of the school grounds for housing will inspire other property owners to sell to developers, jeopardizing open space.
Read more about the seven-year legal dispute that has cost the school district almost $200,000 in court fees.
The latest news to pay attention to
The closing of the University of the Arts means that a large real estate portfolio featuring some of downtown Philly’s most recognizable buildings will be on the market.
New polls show that Pennsylvanians want to make it easier to build housing, but politics complicate things.
Rutgers-Camden is spending millions of dollars to better connect the university campus with the city, including repurposing vacant buildings and lots.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker wants to put a $100 million center for people in addiction where Philly’s former mayor had agreed to build a “tiny house village.”
An art-collecting couple plans to renovate four buildings to create a 100,000-square-foot arts campus in a Philly neighborhood.
A massive drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility could be coming to University City.
Old City business owners don’t want a Greyhound bus station in their congested neighborhood.
House of the week: For $650,000 in Fairmount, a three-bedroom rowhouse near the penitentiary.
The process of moving my stuff to a new home has never been fun for me, but at least it’s never been a disaster. It’s something I’ve just had to get through.
Your movers can make or break the moving experience.
I had a moving company that I liked after my first move with them and disliked after my second, when workers damaged some of my furniture. Another company came highly recommended by a friend and was mostly good, but then I saw they’d ripped a lampshade. So if I find a new home one day, I’ll have to think about where to look for help.
Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook has some tips for finding reliable and affordable movers in the Philly area. I learned some things that I’ll keep in mind for my next move.
(Bonus: Through July 5, our readers can see Checkbook’s ratings of some local moving companies for free.)
The 10-year-old Shah twins are living a kid’s dream.
While their parents make meals, they can scale their rock-climbing wall in the kitchen.
They also got their home’s primary bedroom. It’s a large space with separate areas for sleep and play.
“We really wanted to transform this massive empty box into an inspiring space where the kids could practice their instruments, curl up with a book, host sleepovers with friends, or just relax,” the girls’ mom, Kelly Chew, said.
She and the girls’ dad, Aalap Shah, moved their family from Brooklyn to Philadelphia because of their daughters. Searching for a private school somewhere in the Northeast, they decided on Germantown Friends School and then found their Fairmount rowhouse, built in 1859.
It had plenty of space at three stories and 3,000 square feet. They made it their own with the fun kid additions and minimalist touches. And they cut into the first floor garage to add an in-law apartment.
Peek inside the family’s home and find out which other changes the homeowners made and what they have planned.
🧠 Trivia time
Philly is trying to decide where to put a new forensics lab for the police department. The project has been in the works for years, and various officials have been lobbying to bring it to their communities.
Question: Which of these areas is not one of the three locations the city is considering?
A) North Philadelphia
B) Port Richmond
C) Greater Center City
D) University City
This story has the answer.
📷 Photo quiz
Do you know the Philly location this photo shows?
📮 If you think you do, email me back. You and your memories of visiting this spot might be featured in the newsletter.
Last week’s quiz showed a photo of the grand staircase inside the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ Historic Landmark Building on North Broad Street.
Shout out to Faith F., Karl M., and Lisa G., who were the first three to give me the correct answer.
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Exactly where Philly neighborhoods begin and end has always been and probably always will be a hot topic. My colleagues fanned the flames by asking Inquirer readers where they think South Philly starts. They had some thoughts.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
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