It was a most amazing day in Lansdale today, October 8, 2008!
It all started with a Lansdale Business Association meeting where the Borough Council President Ben Gross, along with other members of Council, informed us that Borough Council will be rewriting the zoning ordinances in order to bring about transformation within borough borders. The message: Anyone interested in doing business in Landale, in any form: retail, restaurant, pub, or boutique - LANSDALE IS PUTTING OUT THE WELCOME MAT! Now is the time to invest in Lansdale's future!
This was already a terrific town, made so by the hard work, dedication, and determination of those council members, Mayor Mike, and the other leaders of commerce that went before - now it is going to be terrifically progressive! Modelling assistance will be available from Main Street Managers all around us, geographically, including towns like Ambler, Phoenixville and West Chester, who are willing to offer valuable ideas from their own experience on how to improve our "streetscape." In conjunction with the already-in-place Center for the Performing Arts opening in November, Lansdale has breathtaking opportunities available to become a bustling center of commerce and art, such as we have not seen since the train came to town!
THEN - after this breath-of-fresh-air meeting, we were invited to join the borough's International Walk-to-School Day celebration. Never did I see so many yellow shirts on so many different sizes of bodies - and most of those bodies were smiling! It was a different walk to a different school - the NEWLY-RENOVATED York Avenue School with so many things to offer its students. Please see my website, http://WestSideOfLansdale.com to view the morning's celebration in photos, under the Neighborhood Photos section.
THEN - as if that wasn't enough to get excited about Lansdale, I was given a personal (albeit quick-footed) tour of the Turbo Lofts' two models which are completed - the largest - the Tremont - at 2,596 square feet, with 2 bedrooms/2 baths/a media room/and an office; and the smallest - the Broadway A - at 1,450 square feet, with 2 bedrooms/2 baths. I'm sure you all know that The Turbo Lofts are being created from the remains of a large industrial complex that was first a hosiery mill (Dexdale Hosiery Mill) manufacturing silk stockings in the early 1900's, and then morphed into a company (Turbo Machine Company) that manufactured the equipment to make stockings. In 1976 Turbo moved to North Carolina, and the building since then fell into disrepair. Refreshing new life has been breathed into it by Moulton Builders. You can see these floor plans at http://turbolofts.com along with additional details about the building and history. AND - I would be happy to arrange a tour for anyone wishing to seriously look at or purchase one of these delicious warehouse-one-of-kind confections sitting pretty at the West end of Main Street in Lansdale. These condos, with their unique high ceilings and industrial accoutrements, remind one of buildings found only in larger cities like Conshohocken or Philadelphia - and at a much higher price than these - the smallest starting in the $230's and the largest in the mid-three-hundred bracket.
WHAT A DAY!!!! WHAT AN OPTIMISTIC, FORWARD-LOOKING DAY IN LANSDALE! WHILE THE REST OF THE WORLD SEEMS BENT ON FINANCIAL HAVOC, HERE IS A PLACE WHERE PROGRESS IS GOING ON - THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT - AND PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT POSSIBILITIES!!!! GREAT POSSIBILITIES!!!! I'M SO GLAD TO BE HERE!!!! |
