5 Major Redevelopment Projects That Could Transform Norristown In 2023

NORRISTOWN, PA — While change has been written on the walls and the buildings and the parks across Norristown for much of the past decade, 2023 may be the most transformational year yet for a budding and rapidly revitalizing muncipality.

Numerous projects are underway that officials say could bring in millions of dollars to the economy, expand housing options across socio-economic sectors, and improve both the beauty and the underlying infrastructure of one of the Schuylkill River valley's keystone communities.

Here's a glance at the latest on some of the biggest projects.

Norristown State Hospital

The Montgomery County Redevelopment Authority is accepting applications through the summer for a large-scale redevelopment project on 68 acres at Norristown State Hospital. The ground has been considered "prime development property" by municipal council for years, and Norristown leaders have been eager to capitalize on one of the most attractive and potential-filled pieces of real estate in the region.

However, the land was owned entirely by the state until 68 acres were recently deeded over to the municipality.

“This is a momentous day for Norristown. This is our chance to reposition ourselves in the regional marketplace,” Council President Tom Lepera said in December, when announcing the request for proposals. “Something like this comes along the way and it gives us an opportunity to change the narrative in Norristown, so it’s a big deal.”

The state has previously proposed to shut the hospital down completely, and former Norristown Muncipal Council President Sonya Sanders said in 2017 that "(redevelopment) has been a municipal priority for decades and we are greatly encouraged by the recent movement of Governor Wolf’s administration toward that goal."

Main And DeKalb Business District

Construction will start in 2023 on a mixed-use business district at the northwest corner of Main and DeKalb streets. Multiple vacant parcels were purchased by the municipality, and a prosal from Philadelphia-based MM Partners was approved in 2021. Gov. Tom Wolf also authorized $1 million in assistance to help fund the revitalization of a property.

Kennedy-Kenrick HS Redevelopment

A massive housing project has been approved would bring hundreds of new apartment units and townhomes to the site of the former Kennedy Kenrick High School in Norristown. It's the latest and one of the largest redevelopment projects in Norristown's ongoing revitalization, which has already seen an overhaul of much of the downtown, riverfront properties, and historic structures.

Municipal council agreed to the resolution, years in the making, in the fall of 2022. It calls for more than 300 apartment units and townhomes across the properties at 120 E. Johnson Highway, 1920 Dekalb Pike, and 1910 Arch Street. Specifically, the proposal contains 30 triplex units within 10 buildings, a dozen townhomes, 48 duplex townhomes, 35 two-story rowhomes, and 200 apartments within four, four-story buildings. Numerous amenities will come with the development, including a pocket park, parking, lighting, stormwater and landscaping, sidewalks, and more.

Organizers are hoping to move fast. In the past, the developer said that they hoped to put homes up for sale on Kennedy Kenrick property by the spring or early summer of 2023.

Schuylkill River Trail Amenities And Connections

The Schuylkill River Trail, the region's crown jewel trail network ,continues its remodel and revitalization.

The new Trail Junction Center, in the historic structure which previously housed the Norristown Freight Station, is still under construction. When complete, the Center will be the meeting point of two of the region's largest trails, as the Chester Valley Trail will soon intersect there with the Schuylkill River Trail. The connection will effectively link Exton, Philadelphia, Valley Forge, and Pottstown in one network.

According to the county, the Center will provide amenities for trail users like bathrooms, water, trail information and maps, bike repairs, and possibly even a small café or refreshment venue. It will also include community space for meetings and events, as well as environmental education exhibits and interpretative materials.

This comes after an ancient Chinese training discipline was installed along the trail earlier in 2022. The new "Qi Gong Circle" provides stones and instructions for a series of movements which, like Tai Chi, aims to target and benefit specific parts of the body. It dates back thousands of years and has roots in Chinese medicine, philosophy, and martial arts. The circle, which includes eight stations with exercise rocks and instructions on wooden posts, is located near the Norristown Transportation Center, at 76 E. Lafayette Street. Officials say it is "easily spotted."

The extension of the Chester Valley Trail is slated to be completed in the immediate future. The north-south trail wil largely run alongside North Gulph Road and will link the new Schuylkill River Crossing Complex project with the new Village at Valley Forge development, according to county officials.

A completion date for the Trail Junction Center has not yet been announced.

Montgomery County Justice Center

Construction is underway on the new 325,000 square foot, six story Montgomery County Justice Center in downtown Norristown. The building will be adjacent to the existing courthouse and will include, once completed, 18 courtrooms and numerous offices. Exact timelines are unclear, but officials have stated that they hope to complete work by 2025.

The new building is just one part of the project, however; the work will also double the size of the existing Hancock Square Park, providing more green public space. In addition, it will modernize and preserve the existing historic courthouse facility.

Officials also noted the importance of the projects for the revitalization of Norristown.

“This project will change the face of Main Street and complement ongoing efforts to bolster the development of downtown Norristown," Montgomery County Commissioner Ken Lawrence said when construction began.

Hancock Square Park, meanwhile, will be more than doubled in size, growing from 23,000 square feet to 57,000. Current monumnets in the park will be "respectfully incorporated" into reflective spaces, while new native plantings will be added.

The historic courthouse, which was built in the mid-1800s and restored in 1904, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The project will also demolish the existing parking garages, the Wells Fargo Bank, and the 1967 addition to the courthouse to make way for the new structure. Peter Glasing, the lead architect for the project with the firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, said that the design paid careful attention both to the history of the existing courthouse and the role which the property would play in the future of downtown Norristown.