Via Marconi Pizza Pub Eyeing Move to Hatfield

could relocate to Hatfield Township - possibly at the new Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center less than a mile up the road - but township commissioners must give the OK for a liquor license transfer.

According to a Feb. 24 article at The Reporter Online, an attorney for Via Marconi owner Tom Vickerman has sent a letter indicating the business's intent to transfer the liquor license from Towamencin Township to Hatfield Township.

Vickerman was quoted as saying he is "exploring the possibility" of a move, as they are in the early stages.

According to the article, Vickerman has owned the Pizza Pub since 2007.

By law, Hatfield Township has to hold a public hearing on the transfer within 45 days of the request. The application was submitted Feb. 14, according to the article.

Hatfield Township Manager Andrew Haines was quoted that Via Marconi owners indicated they are investigating moving to a strip of not-yet-built stores at Hatfield Pointe, owned by Clemens Family Corp. The shopping center is at Forty Foot Road and Welsh Road, where Lowe's, Shop Rite and Univest Bank currently exist.

According to the article, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board permits only six liquor licenses in Hatfield Township, based on population density. Hatfield currently has 11 licenses in operation; commissioners approved the five extra licenses.

Via Marconi Pizza Pub is located in the Towamencin Village Shopping Center at Allentown and Forty Foot roads.

In the past 12 months, numerous anchor stores and pad sites have closed up shop: Genuardi's, Sears Hardware, Blockbuster Video, Headquarters for Hair, Sears Optical, Hollywood Tans and La Tolteca.

Current stores include , Dollar Tree, Scottrade, , Postman Plus, Rite Aid, , Towamencin Cleaners, Subway, Wendy’s, Boston Market, Wachovia Bank and First Priority Bank.

The shopping center opened in 1990. It is owned by Spectrum Partners.

, Suzette Timme, of the leasing division of Spectrum Partners, said there has been interest in some of the vacant stores, but there have not been any definite decisions made at this time. 

Timme said Spectrum Partners wants to keep the shopping center a great place for the community to meet, dine and shop.

There have been unconfirmed rumors that the cost of leasing property at the shopping center is exorbitant under today's economy.

You can read more about this ongoing story at The Reporter Online at this link.