Keep your Eye on a Quakertown borough on the move

Nearing the end of any year offers time to take a look around; get some perspective. Time flies, we fly with it, often living and moving in a ready, fire, aim mentality, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s going on around us. Lots cooking in our Quakertown I’ve discovered.

I’ve written before about the change in our borough but when you hear Holly Edinger, Quakertown Alive’s Main Street Manager talk about what our town’s center could be like in 3, 5 and 10 years from now you’ll realize quickly that only the surface has been scratched for what new and exciting developments are on the way. Holly has an energy about her. She speaks with great passion about what the Quakertown Borough could be like before long. In the grand scheme of things a 5 to 10 year plan isn’t long, as time gets by me so quickly, there are days I feel like that time ahead is ten minutes ago.

So you want the inside track on what new and exciting things could be headed for our borough? Well, I’ll use the inside track analogy to first segue into our train station. Newly renovated and pristeen, the train station could serve us for more than a meeting place and catering space. It is possible that in the next 3 to 5 years the station is active with B5 train service shooting us from our borough into the thick of center city Philadelphia. Think of it, buy a ticket, sit back, read a book, forget the parking and traffic hassles and in an hour or so be in center city Philly. It could happen and plans are in progress to make it happen over the next several years. Holly beams when she thinks about our Quakertown Borough. She thinks about it a lot, she has to, it’s her job. But with idea people like Holly it’s more than a job she’s clearly excited about what she does. A lot of ideas are alive and well in her head and I had the chance to speak to Holly to see just what ideas and plans are brewing.

Federal money has been allotted and just over $900,000 is available for a street-scaping process to begin, timing likely not before the end of next year. The money will help place more decorative lights, brick walkways and crossroads and a makeover of the Quakertown Borough triangle that’s been in need of a facelift for a while. We’ve had the streets paved over the summer, this next step will help further give the borough more panache. Part of the shopping, dining and ‘hanging out’ experience is ‘eye candy’ and our borough will be more appealing by its look and ease of access before too long.

Here’s a run down on some goals that are shorter term ( by the end of the next 3 years ). Holly spells out that goals include the borough having all its store fronts filled, there will be newly designed and built ‘green spaces’ or ‘urban parks’. The street-scaping will have been completed and Front Street will begin seeing new development take shape. Grand ideas? Holly has firm resolve as do her colleagues and already I’ve seen many positive changes since my arrival to our town in 1994, I’d say odds are that these benchmarks will be realized and if not in 3 years certainly not much past.

A little further down the road finalizing a plan and building a more pedestrian friendly intersection nearest to the train station and across from the Bush Hotel is in Holly’s sights and the powers that be at Quakertown Alive. Speaking of the Bush Hotel pictures of a Bed and Breakfast with a downstairs full service restaurant are being schemed. Bringing back ‘LIVE’ theater, Seeing the Globe Hotel as a retail/commercial business and more are just a few of Holly’s punch list items that round out a ten year plan. All these changes could impact another of Holly’s goals, which is to raise the property value of our borough homes and properties. Front Street is a real priority for Edinger, she knows the value of that street, especially when train service begins. A mix of commercial, retail and residential business on this block could be extremely good for our town.

Making Quakertown Borough a destination location, to hang out, shop, eat and enjoy is the goal which these earlier mentioned bullet points will help create. Stop down if you get the chance on December 1st. The Quakertown Borough lights their official Christmas Tree on the triangle. Enjoy Christmas Carols from young and old and free hot cocoa and cookies at Sine’s. I’ve said before people make the town. A town is a reflection of those that live and work in its borders. We have a lot to look forward to, timing aside, just seeing each item completed will be another stepping stone to making our town a better place to live, shop and work.

Check out the latest happenings and news for our borough by visiting www.quakertownalive.com, click on the link and sign up for their newsletter. Get a look at the great things heading our way. This holiday season take a good look at your Quakertown Borough, preferably while there to shop, dine and do some commerce. Look around there’s a lot brewing under the surface. See ya round town.