Proposed Norristown Wellness Center Project Runs Into Trouble

NORRISTOWN, PA — A project that hopes to turn an abandoned building into a thriving wellness and community center in Norristown has hit a snag due to some major structural issues with the property.

The Norristown Wellness Center was conceived of by Norristown native Vincent DePaul, who is also the founder of local business Gangster Vegan Organics. The new 30,000-square foot Center, which DePaul hopes to install at the old Baer's Furniture Store on Main Street, will be many things, with "unique features that would make it like no other": a plant-based cafe, a grocery store, an art studio, a commercial kitchen with cooking classes, a yoga studio with local teacher Desiree Smith, a dance studio, and even an upstairs boxing gym.

At the core of it all, though, is DePaul's passion: healthy food. Norristown, he says, is a food desert.

"Yes, we got a lot of Crown Fried Chickens," he said. "We got a lot of liquor stores, a lot of beer stores, you can get cigarettes every which way. But guess what? You can't get that organic peach."

Supporters of the project agree. Norristown is developing in many ways, and it's made positive transformational strides in recent years. But accessible healthy food is something this population needs.

"Norristown is a food desert and the people deserve better," one donor to the project said. "Fresh food, wellness, better choices. And another revitalization project on this block is desperately needed."

"He speaks the truth," another said of DePaul. "Healthy food is ridiculously expensive for the people who need it most."

But DePaul's innovative dream has run into serious trouble. He said he was led to believe that the owners of the Baer building, with whom he agreed to a five-year lease, were going to be partners on the project, and help get the building ready for business.

Instead, he wrote in an impassioned plea for help via social media, "they never really cared about Norristown in the first place." The building has issues with asbestos, black mold, and lead. According to the Times Herald, the owners, Mill City Properties, DePaul misrepresented their original agreement: they are merely owners of the building who support his project, not financial investors.

DePaul, meanwhile, reportedly thought Mill City had agreed to help pay for many of the renovations that are required to get the project underway.

Regardless, the project, which had already launched a GoFundMe campaign for support, now needs the help more than ever. As it stands, extensive renovations are still needed.

"This is for town, the world, and most of all the children," DePaul said. "Can’t have them running around in asbestos, lead and mold."

Revitalization has come in many forms to Norristown in recent years. Abandoned blocks have been purchased and developed into condominiums. Historic homes have been saved and repurposed. Local businesses have popped up. And three major revitalization projects that comprised millions in funding are well underway: the Lafayette Street extension project, the Chester Valley Trail extension, and the new $406 million Justice Center.

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All of them accomplish important goals in moving Norristown forward. The Lafayette Street extension will ultimately greatly ease traffic and improve accessibility to the Schuylkill River Trail; the Chester Valley Trail will connect to the Schuylkill River Trail and improves the regional trail network, an important victory for local sustainability. The Justice Center, along with the renovation and expansion of nearby Hancock Park, will bring marked change to the downtown area.

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But the Norristown Wellness Center is a different sort of project; the sort of grassroots, community-based movement that defines a successfully revitalized town, providing a service that is by locals, for locals. And it's managed to get off the ground without a massive influx of funding.

As of late September, a total of $2,889 had been raised for the Norristown Wellness Center. The campaign has a goal of $300,000, but even more will be needed to complete the project.

Funds raised will be used for construction and equipment costs, in addition to the required renovations.

Learn more about the GoFundMe campaign and how to contribute here.

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