Throwback Thursday | Norristown's Trolley Lines

Today's Throwback Thursday is also a foreshadow into the future of Norristown as the transportation HUB of Montgomery County. In the early 1900s, most main roads in Norristown had trolley lines transporting guests throughout the town. Many of these lines also connected us to Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley. Before cars and roads became more accessible, this was the best way to get your business done...and it helped the economy as well.

The map above shows all the trolley lines that once went through Norristown. The red line which is Markley Street was a part of the Lehigh Valley line which ran until 1951. The blue lines were abandoned in 1933 and were the connections to Chestnut Hill the Greater Philly Area. The green line is now a part of SEPTA and their high speed line.

On a quick side note, not all streets in town are in horrible shape because of horrible Winter seasons. Many of these trolley lines were paved over instead of being removed, causing streets to buckle and cause potholes to form. Also, some of these roads are bricks underneath which also need to be removed. So when we look at why are streets are bad, this explains some of it.

If you were an outsider reading about all the trolley lines that are now gone, you would think Norristown has lost its competitive advantage in transportation. You would be right, however, that's not the case. Today, Norristown has become the HUB of transportation for Montgomery County and continues to expand with projects on Markley and Lafayette. Norristown has one of the largest transportation center on Lafayette and continues to grow.

Now here is the foreshadow, or should I say present day? The double-blue line at the bottom represents Main Street to Philadelphia. No doubt, this line was important to the success of many of the businesses that once filled our streets. When this went away, so did the accessibility to visit these businesses, unless you had a car. 

Today, plans are now underway to expand Lafayette which runs parallel to Main Street. The hopes to expand the road and make it more accessible from the turnpike is a formula to bring more traffic into our downtown district. Obviously, it is not an overnight process, but the town will benefit by seeing more traffic through our downtown areas. Those abandoned lots and owned but not maintained properties will become prime real estate for companies looking to join Norristown. 

The Lafayette Street Corridor Expansion Project will also benefit Norristown Arts Hill as it will become easier for visitors to get to. Today, the Arts Hill sits on a one-way street that it long overdue for a traffic patter change. The Arts Hill will still be tough to reach from the North, but it is a good step towards getting the discussion going to benefit local businesses.

So when you look at Norristown making its comeback, the first thing to look at is our transportation. Projects like Lafayette and Markley will benefit businesses and the community over the next couple years. 

Read »

The City That (Needs To) Never Sleep

Over the past decade, businesses have started to come back to Norristown; bringing hope for better days. Today, Main Street is flooded with brand new restaurants, the arts district continues to develop, and Marshall Street highlights Norristown's rich heritage. There's just one problem...when the sun goes down, so do the businesses! Today's post will discuss why these businesses should stay open later year-round to boost business and tourism.

Read »

Gresh Mansion - A Hope for Change?

Yesterday, I posted a Facebook post to get the conversation going about a beautiful unoccupied property in Norristown. And boy did it get a response! This is exactly the kind of response I was looking for. Residents who have noticed this property for years but wondered why it still sits unoccupied.

Read »

Trend Continues With Gretz Beer

For over 50 years, Norristown has struggled with finding its identity in a once booming factory town filled with small businesses. In the 1960s, most companies left Norristown to make home in up-and-coming neighborhoods like King of Prussia. That trend continues today, as the owner of Gretz Beer announced he would be moving his business out of Norristown.

 It's time to move on. Gretz Beer was a great fixture in the community, but in a town that is no longer a powerhouse in factories/production, Gretz Beer no longer represented what Norristown is. Nothing bad about the company, just that they were ultimately the last major factory in town that once swarmed with them. Today's DNA in Norristown is made up of restaurants, non-profits, legal, and small specialty shops. To sum it up, Norristown is no longer in the business of production, but in the service industry.

I want Norristown residents to remember this when you see a company like this leave Norristown. It is not necessarily a bad thing (except for the potential loss in tax revenue). This is an opportunity to begin discussions on that neighborhood on what it should be next. Although Gretz Beer has no intention on selling the property (sitting on it until it becomes valuable), whoever is the next business to fill that space has the opportunity to revive that neighborhood that is going through a major identity crisis.

The Norristown Project loves to share visions for a better tomorrow in Norristown, and here is mine. How would you like to see that property turn into a youth center, a skating rink, or a strip mall? All it takes is the right visionary and investor to turn that entire area into an economic powerhouse for the community. Let's break down the three suggestions I have for that area:

Youth Center

Building a youth center in the existing facility would be a wonderful addition for Norristown. Studies show that the more programs and activities for teens in a low-income neighborhood can lead to a reduction of crime, unemployment and drugs in Norristown. Maybe if we can look at that drug issue, we won't see a drug rehab HQ seeking approval to move into town square! There needs to be a youth center that has activies, workshops, playgrounds and more. Even though it is not in a populated area so transportation is needed, it will do wonders to the community that could use more activities for teens. By the way, Norristown Youth Development Coalition will begin meeting in November at the OIC. Have your teen get involved!

Skating Rink

You may think a skating rink is the same as building a youth center, but you're wrong. The difference between these two are for-profit and non-profit. It would be much easier for an entrepreneur to build a skating rink for-profit than a youth center. Building the area's only skating rink adds a niche for Norristown. Families will flock from neighboring towns for a night of entertainment. As a result, businesses will see the benefits this new market has which can result in more stores popping up in that neighborhood(family restaurants). Young adults would want to hang out at the rink and walk across the street to the bar to finish the night, vice versa if it were me! But the fact is, it will bring in revenue and liven that neighborhood. especially during this time of year, there is a market for this!

Strip Mall

The final vision I have for that neighborhood is to clear the factory and ABC store to make way for a brand new strip mall. I'm not sure of the factory and if it is protected for historical purposes, but making way for new development could brighten up that area. Adding about 10-15 shops in that area would bring in obvious revenue for the town and add on to our resume of service-oriented businesses. For those concerned about traffic, let's look at the land owned by Gretz. They own the parking lot across the street along with their factory and beer shop. Placing a strip mall in the area that was once Gretz' factory would still leave plenty of parking available for visitors. Adding a parking permit zone to the street spaces to protect the homes on that block would satisfy the residents and nearby businesses. The parking lot that was once a Hess Station could be additional parking for busier shopping days and a pedestrian bridge could be built across Main Street for the safety of the shoppers. Just like indoor malls, strip malls attract businesses to set up shop nearby in hopes to bring traffic to their stores. Oh, and let's not forget about the Lafayette Corridor Project that will run right behind this site. Think about it! That's my favorite idea.

So there's my thoughts on Gretz Beer leaving Norristown. We loved the memories and loved the stories, but we can recover from this loss. They will truly be missed but Norristonians must now look to the future. Let's stop pointing fingers on who is to blame, because no one is to blame. Not council, not the residents, and certainly not Gretz. The community needs to get together and begin to market this space as hope for Norristown's economy.


Don't hold on to the past, embrace the future!

Read »