New Esports Facility, Bars, Apartments Proposed In Norristown

NORRISTOWN, PA — A new proposal to bring new restaurants, apartments, and entertainment into the former Baer Building in downtown Norristown was reviewed by the municipal planning commission during their meeting Tuesday evening, marking the latest step forward in one of Norristown's more ambitious revitalization projects.

The proposal includes bringing in "eSpot," a state of the art gaming facility, 15 affordable studio apartments, a brew pub and sports bar, a BBQ restaurant, a rooftop bar, a bike shop, and a yoga studio.

The eSpot would be the first eSports focused venue in the Philadelphia suburbs, according to organizers, meaning that it would bring in regional visitors and residents from surrounding neighborhoods. It would host live streams, tournaments, coding courses, and more.

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The revitalization of the former furniture store, which stood for decades, is being put together by Mill City properties, an E. Moore Street-based firm that owns the building and runs more than 40 units around the area. Mill City is helmed by former Norristown Area High School basketball coach Mike Fink, who is best known for similar redevelopment projects in neary Ambler's now-thriving downtown.

It's not the first time someone from the local community has attempted to redevelop the Baer building. Norristown native Vincent DePaul, owner of Gangster Vegan Organics, proposed a 30,000-square-foot Norristown Wellness Center with a yoga and dance studio, boxing gym, and grocery store just last year. The project aimed to address what DePaul called a food desert in Norristown.

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However, structural issues with the building, unforeseen costs, and issues between DePaul and Mill City hamstrung the project before it could get off the ground.

Developers touted their own Norristown connections, and would work to integrate themselves within the local community. The eSpot, for instance, would provide after school programs and classes that would "incentivize school success," developers said.

Coinciding with the new $400-plus million Montgomery County Justice Center project,developers said they believed it would bring "added appeal" to young professionals looking to live and work in Norristown. Mill City also pointed to the Layafette Street project and other recent improvements in the area as a sign that "the time for Norristown has finally come."

To move the project forward, Mill City is asking Norristown to adopt a tax abatement program called LERTA: Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance. Among other things, they claim that eSpot wants to know their taxes won't increase significantly after moving in.

Following the planning commission's review, Municipal Council is slated to vote on the project at its Sept. 15 meeting.