NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP – There was no pomp and circumstance, no
speeches or official photographs. Not like when its neighbor down the street,
the former ACME store, crumbled into the pages of Newtown’s past.
Without fanfare Tuesday morning, crews from Clemons (Clemens ) Construction Company moved heavy equipment onto the site of
the former Stockburger Chrysler Showroom, a landmark building that has stood at
the intersection of Sycamore Street and Richboro Road since the 1950s, and
began the demolition process.
In its heyday – the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s - brand new
automobiles awaiting new owners clogged its parking lot and the showroom
bustled with customers. A parade of automotive history passed through its lot
and the showroom on their way to new owners.
That was then.
This week, the building, where children once painted some
pretty amazing Halloween scenes on its large, rounded plate glass windows,
disappears under a cloud of dust, twisted metal and rubble as the march of
progress lays claim to another landmark Newtown building.
According to a member of the Clemons crew, the demolition
will be completed in about two days.
It’s all to make way for a new branch of Beneficial Bank,
which will pull up roots at the nearby Summit Square Shopping Center when its
new home is ready for occupancy.
The redevelopment of the site, said the bank’s lawyer John
VanLuvanee, will be a major improvement - eliminating an eyesore, reducing
impervious surface by 25 percent and adding stormwater management systems.
The bank also will develop a small flag pole courtyard at
the corner of Sycamore Street and Richboro Road as part of the plan. And it
will re-landscape the property along Sycamore to buffer the parking and
drive-through lanes and enhance the Sycamore Street experience.
According to Beneficial senior vice president Joseph Coyle,
the bank hired Dave Schultz, a top notch architect from Philadelphia, to design
a building that fits in with Newtown’s character, would be an attractive
addition to the streetscape, would meet the bank’s needs and would be
“memorable.”
Designed with steep roof lines, dormers and a glass-enclosed
first floor, the building will feature architectural elements reminiscent of a
Bucks County farmhouse, said Schultz.
The new bank will house a Financial Learning Library,
stocked with books and e-readers on financial know-how; a Knowledge Bar with
complimentary coffee and access to Beneficial’s online personal finance
resources; Little Learners’ Corner, offering activities and books to teach
children about money and saving; Conversation Stations, where experts are
available for one-on-one conversations about financial goals and questions; and
free wi-fi meeting space for community organizations.
“We’re creating more than a bank. We’re creating a learning
center and knowledge areas for the community,” said Coyle.
Beneficial Bank, the oldest and largest bank headquartered
in Philadelphia, has more than 60 offices in the greater Philadelphia and South
Jersey regions and approximately $5 billion in assets. It offers a full array
of financial products, including commercial, consumer and real estate lending,
insurance and wealth management.
Source: Bucks
Local News
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