Part of Norristown Centre could face demolition with new proposal

NORRISTOWN >> The owner of Norristown Centre, the former Logan Square Shopping Center, has proposed building a convenience store with gasoline pumps, a new pharmacy building and a pad site at the 22.8-acre shopping center at Markley Street and Johnson Highway.

A request for zoning relief for the project came from engineer Samuel Renauro of SR3 Engineers of Bellmawr, N.J., to Norristown officials in a two-page letter on Aug. 10.

Logan Lenders, organized by Joseph Anania Jr. of Axis Advisors LP of Wayne, acquired the shopping center at a sheriff’s auction in 2013. At the time of the May 2013 mortgage foreclosure, the private group of lenders was owed more than $34 million in principal, interest and penalties.

The three-story USM headquarters building for Emcore Group Inc. and the three-story parking garage with 543 parking spaces will remain. Two retail buildings, a 20,853-square-foot building and a 2,488-square-foot building, will also remain on the site.

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The 44,352-square-foot office building that houses the Rite Aid store and the 35,578-square-foot retail building that houses the Impact Thrift Store will be demolished, Renauro said.

The new construction at the shopping center by Logan Management will include a proposed, 5,371-square-foot Royal Farms convenience store with gasoline pumps under a canopy that will have frontage and driveways on Markley Street. The proposed, 14,000-square-foot drug store will be located next to the existing, Dunkin Donuts on Johnson Highway. A proposed, 17,700-square-foot pad site for another retail business will be built next to the pharmacy building and have highway frontage on Johnson Highway.

The southwest corner of the parking lot on Markley Street will be reconfigured for a possible lease to the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for a driver testing area. The DMV currently has a testing facility on Markley Street in East Norriton.

“The applicant intends to submit a phased, preliminary plan,” Renauro said. “The property is located in the commercial retail zoning district and all of the proposed uses for the site are all permitted uses for which no zoning relief is required. Parking for the proposed site will meet or exceed all parking requirements.”

The sketch plan submitted with the variance requests provides 1,363 parking spaces where Norristown regulations require 707 parking spaces.

Jayne Musonye, the Norristown director of planning, said the office staff will verify the need for the zoning variances proposed by the developer.

If a formal zoning hearing board application is submitted to Norristown officials by Aug. 25, the zoning hearing board could hear the zoning requests at a Sept. 29 hearing, Musonye said. The next zoning hearing is scheduled for Oct. 26.

The prospect of redeveloping the shopping center is attractive to Norristown officials.

“They are bringing us tax rateables,” Musonye said, “and we are looking for jobs for Norristown residents. The zoning issues have to be resolved prior to them submitting an application for full land development.”

Renauro listed the need for a variance to allow a 5,300-square-foot fuel canopy where a maximum of 3,600 square feet is permitted, a variance to allow sidewalks adjacent to the building without foundation plantings and a variance to allow six-foot wide sidewalks next to the building where nine-foot sidewalks are required.

Six sign variances were requested including a request for two, 124-square-foot freestanding signs where 15 square feet is permitted and a request for two, 25-foot tall freestanding signs where six feet in height is permitted.

Attorney Ross Weiss, representing Logan Management, said the proposal included a Royal Farms convenience store “that would be a 24-hour, seven-day market with gasoline sales.”

“I don’t know if we will need a zoning hearing,” Ross said, “We are taking it one step at a time.”

Redevelopment of the shopping center has been rocky, starting when developer Charles Gallub promised a movie studio, hotel and supermarket in 2007. Those building elements were never built but the former Sears building was converted to a corporate office for US Maintenance, now called USM. That building will remain along with the adjacent parking garage.

Source The Times Herald