All this week, KYW Newsradio has stories of post-pandemic recovery with a series called "The State of Downtown."
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Revitalizing Norristown has been discussed for years, but county and local officials remain optimistic several current projects will be successful in doing so.
“I'm bullish about Norristown’s future,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Ken Lawrence.
“I've seen a lot of great things happening here in our county — the opening of Lafayette Street. We have the turnpike connector, which will be coming in, and Norristown has all the elements for a great downtown.”
The Lafayette Street Extension Project is 20-plus years in the making. It’s aimed at solving one of the major issues of access from area highways by building an exit off the turnpike.
Former Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh emphasized the importance of turnpike access back in 2017, saying it will “provide that critical link to allow people to come down into Norristown quickly and easily.”
“There’s no question it will be a game changer for the local economy.”
While the first three phases of the Lafayette Extension Street Project are completed, there’s no timeline for the turnpike ramp, as it remains in the engineering phase.
There were plans to connect Norristown Transportation Center to King of Prussia by rail, but the plan was suspended earlier this year when they lost federal funding. Lawrence says that’s disappointing, but it doesn't change the dynamics of Norristown, as it has an active transportation center with the High Speed Line, Regional Rail, and buses.
Additionally, the courthouse and county office building are undergoing a massive rehabilitation aimed at connecting those buildings with the Main Street community.
Norristown is also working with the county redevelopment authority on plans for the nearly 70-acre site that housed Norristown State Hospital. When that property was officially turned over to Norristown, Council President Thomas Lepera said that was their chance to reposition themselves in the regional marketplace.
“It really gives us an opportunity to change the narrative in Norristown,” he added.
In the near term, Norristown continues to deal with crime, blight, and homelessness, but both Lepera and Lawrence said, for too long, Norristown was shouldered with the county’s housing and social issues at the expense of its own residents. Both have been spearheading efforts to try to change that.