One local politician recently announced plans to seek state and federal funds to help revitalize and reuse some important locations throughout the county.
State Rep. Todd Stephens, R-151, announced the state Department of Community and Economic Development will investigate programs to find funding to revitalize the Route 611 corridor in Horsham and find a new tenant for the former Dow Chemical building, located at 727 Norristown Road in Lower Gwynedd.
Dow began transitioning its employees to its new location in Upper Providence, leaving officials with the task of bringing in new companies to fill the space.
Touring both areas was DCED Secretary C. Alan Walker and U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, who each agreed to help find government funding to attract Fortune 500-level businesses to the area.
In both cases, the goal is to attract future investors to the area. With Route 611, the area, Stephens said, needs some new life and energy breathed into it.
“Route 611 at the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Blair Mill Road is the gateway to Horsham,” he said. “I was approached to revitalize the area and find resources . I agreed it needed a new facelift to that area of town.”
He said a big problem is traffic, and the need for it to “move efficiently and effectively.”
Right now, he said, that area of the corridor is a “hodgepodge of places” without a clear focus about what kinds of businesses would be best suited there.
“Folks I’ve spoken to who live or own a business welcome a discussion about traffic flow and what can be done to improve the area,” he said. “Looking down the road, we should be able to attract top employers to the former Willow Grove Naval Airbase.
“We need to make sure what they’re seeing is the best,” he added.
As for the Dow building, Stephens said there is a simple solution to finding a new tenant.
“Marketing,” he said. “It was so important to get the secretary and his team down to the site. If they’re the ones getting calls from companies overseas wanting to establish facilities in Pennsylvania, they need to know that site is a terrific opportunity.”
Stephens said the facility in Lower Gwynedd is an ideal location for employers given its proximity to Route 309, which then leads to 476, Philadelphia Airport, parts of Philadelphia, east to New Jersey and west to Harrisburg.
“You can get anywhere you need to go, it’s a terrific opportunity,” he said. “In addition to transportation, there is a very well-educated workforce in that area with college and advanced degrees. Marketing will let the world know that the site is available and all the great amenities that are available.”
For the Route 611 revitalization, the next step is to find what state and federal resources are available, Stephens said. With Dow, the next step is to begin hosting tours of the facility to industry groups and getting the word out to make sure the facility is on the top of government action committee lists.
“The secretary drove by the site to see exactly what we’re talking about,” he said. “He called and said it was a terrific opportunity.”
Source: TimesHerald.com
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