Gamburg's Furniture Property Up For Sale

HATBORO, PA —It may be boarded up.

But the former Gamburg's Furniture store —a retail landmark in the borough for nearly 100 years—may be getting some new life.

After permanently shutting its doors in November, and then boarding up its windows last month, residents wondered about the future of the property on South York Road.

Some residents had speculated on posts on "The Real Voices of Hatboro" Facebook page that the building was going to be torn down. Others wondered if the property had been vandalized.

Both are not the case.

The property is for sale, borough officials said in providing an update at the Hatboro Borough Council committee meeting on Monday night.

"There are two For Sale signs on the windows," Councilwoman Nicole McMenamin said during her Land Development report.

"The borough has not received any applications pertaining to the Gamburg's property," borough officials said. "If an application is received, it will be reviewed by the planning commission and the public will have ample time to provide comments and feedback on the project."

Last August, Gamburg's owners sent a letter to priority customers announcing they were closing the business after 94 years in the downtown business district and retiring.

The sale of the property could lead to its development under the borough's mixed-use Town Center ordinance.

In late January 2022, the Hatboro Borough Council approved a mixed-use ordinance for a section of York Road from Byberry Road to Montgomery Avenue.

The ordinance allows developers to make proposals that could see building heights go to 60 feet provided they meet certain guidelines, meaning that the downtown district could have taller buildings and apartments.

While the property is for sale, it also may be getting a mural.

Hatboro officials and Gamburg's said they have signed off on allowing for the creation of a mural as part of the borough's Young Rembrandts program.