NORRISTOWN – Another chapter was written in the saga of the Airy Street Prison. story of the Airy Street Prison on Thursday when Montgomery County officials announced intentions to withdraw an existing demolition permit.
Director of Planning Scott France addressed county commissioners during a Thursday morning board meeting giving a status report to the structure at 35 E. Airy St. The building has drawn controversy in recent months. Plans to raze the building were previously set in motion, but staunch public opposition led to elected officials calling for a pause to proceedings.
“I don’t want to rehash the discussion and efforts toward redeveloping the site during 2023 – other than to clearly state that the county has heard the concerns expressed during that time period, and it is engaging a process that will determine if there is a development-driven option to repurpose the site with the goal of preserving at least some of the historic architecture of the prison that still exists on this site,” France said.
Airy Street Prison saga
The focus of residents and historic preservationists is the building described as a “castle on the hill,” the circa 1851 portion designed by architect Napoleon LeBrun. Two other structures were added to the 1.1-acre parcel back in 1890 and 1910 to make up the roughly 40,000-square-foot structure.
The site ceased operations as a prison in 1987 and was later sold to the county. The county set a course toward razing the building after applying for a demolition permit back in August 2023.
Representatives from the county attended meetings of the Norristown Historical Architectural Review Board where the application was tabled twice over a two-month period before board members ultimately issued a formal recommendation denying the application on Oct. 25, 2023.
Former Norristown Historical Architectural Review Board Vice Chairman Doug Seiler previously said the county lacked some sufficient paperwork including an engineering report and enough evidence proving the need for demolition. He did include a caveat in his motion at the October 2023 meeting to “fight for LeBrun.”
Following the November 2023 postponement announcement, Norristown council members granted county officials a six-month continuance on the demolition permit, which is set to expire on May 21.
However, France stressed that following the lead of county commissioners in this endeavor is crucial as elected officials “unanimously directed us that that suspended permit application may be withdrawn from the Municipality of Norristown.” Notification is expected next week in the form of a letter to municipal officials.
“It does not indicate any ultimate final end point, but it does remove that from the table, which I know much of the public has asked for, and it makes sense I think from our standpoint,” France said.
He expressed hope that they wouldn't have to resort to demolition, but would have to restart the process and involve the HARB and the Norristown council if they did. He believed it would be better to make every effort to avoid that outcome.
This site is clearly important.
France outlined the goals for the county planning commission's investigative efforts, which involved researching best practices, documents, and preservation presentations. He also mentioned meetings with Norristown staff, historical preservation specialists, and potential developers.
He prioritized combining the prison and parking lot, both owned by the county, to expand into a 2.5-acre parcel in Norristown.
France emphasized the site's significant value to the municipality and the community.
France stressed the need for transparency, outreach, and compromise in finding a balance between development and preservation.
He explained that the goal was to use all available mechanisms to find a solution and collaborate through a private-public partnership.
Officials are working on a full structural assessment report to provide prospective developers with a clearer understanding of the property. These findings will support future requests for expressions of interest, allowing developers to submit proposals for the project.
He outlined requirements for the request for expressions of interest, including the provision of county office space and parking, as well as exploring the possibility of a new firehouse for Norristown.
He expressed the intention to provide the tools and mechanisms for someone to step up and take action.
France mentioned that the property is currently zoned as "town center," which offers less strict guidelines for proposing solutions through the RFEI, emphasizing the potential for vertical usage of space.
He said the area is not small to start with, but there's potential for both private and public use due to the vertical space available.
It could be several months before they share findings, as they need time to create a report and assess it before proceeding with the RFEI. France estimated the report could be ready in early September.
France said that what happens next depends. This process is not as strict as an RFP, but negotiation will begin based on the chosen direction for the county to move forward with.
France added that the timeline might be longer than expected, but he believes that the payoff and the intention to achieve this are worthwhile.
Neil Makhija and Commissioner Tom DiBello praised France and the county planning commission for their efforts. Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Jamila Winder was absent from Thursday’s meeting.
Makhija emphasized the importance of engaging deeply with the municipality and thanked them for their involvement in the project across from the courthouse and county buildings.
DiBello agreed.
DiBello expressed gratitude for the opportunity to consider ways to preserve parts of the prison and open up the space for redevelopment efforts, in contrast to the previous administration's plans to demolish it.
The reaction of community members
Area residents, advocates, and the grassroots group “Friends of the Prison” have been vocal in various public forums about their views.
Friends of the Prison member Peggy Dellisanti found the report very promising and encouraging.
Speakers voiced their gratitude for the permit withdrawal and suggested ways to make the best use of the space on Airy Street.
Whitemarsh Township resident Sydelle Zove mentioned that the permit withdrawal, though symbolic, sends a message that the community is serious about exploring options and not rushing demolition.
Zove also complimented the possibility for a collaboration between the government and private sector, but emphasized that state and federal funds would be necessary to support this project.
“That’s indeed where it should be,” Zove said. “That should be the case, but I also want to remind you … that a project of this scope of this size of this complexity of its location is going to require a combination of public and private financing and there is ample public financing.”
Norristown resident Cassandra Morabito expressed her gratitude for the detailed report as she previously felt that the “concerns” of hers and others “fell on deaf ears.”
“From my perspective, I think that it’s important to maintain the original facade of the building and also to utilize the space. I think we desperately need parking in downtown Norristown,” she said, adding that “we need event space in the area.”
Fellow Norristown resident and former Norristown councilwoman Olivia Brady agreed, emphasizing the need to use the prison as a way to make the county seat a “destination” once again.
“This county seat needs a place for people to come here on purpose, to see something interesting and to learn something about our history, and what we’re all about,” Brady said.
“… We don’t have the restaurants and the activities for people to want to come here, and it’s unfortunate that they turn away with a bad reputation of our county seat,” she continued. “So I would love to see this add to creating a destination for our county seat and making our county seat the envy of all others.”
