New Pottstown Area Carmike Theater Progress

The new Carmike Theater being built at Upland Square is moving right along.  Here are some pictures of the progress!

Jakes’s Wayback Burgers Opens At Upland Square

Image via Wikipedia

If you live in the Pottstown area and enjoy a freshly made, hand-formed burger and real milkshakes in a “Route 66 burger joint” atmosphere, then you should head over to Upland Square on Route 100 and lay a lip on some “comfort food” sooner than later.

Jake’s is next to Petco and owned by a Lower Pottsgrove couple, Darryl and Linda Hendershot.  The Upland Square store is the 30th location for the franchise.

The Wayback Burger chain started out in Newark, Delaware as a single restaurant in 1991.  It is now that is expanding into several states.  Fortunately for our area, Pennsylvania was one of those states.

Check out their website and menu.  I assure you that it will entice you to head over to Upland Square!

website: http://waybackburgers.com/menu/

voice: 484-300-4246

Carmike To Build At Upland Square – Commerce Corner Sputters

Looks like Carmike is heading across Route 100 to Upland Square shopping center.  Frankly, I would rather see Upland Square get filled up before we build another shopping center on the same intersection.  By the way, I would really like to see Pottstown Plaza get filled up!!!

Read the entire story from my good buddy Joe Zlomek over at the Sanatoga Post:

http://sanatogapost.com/2011/01/13/carmike-switches-sides-of-rt-100-to-upland-square/

Sonic, America’s Drive-In Is Coming To Pottstown

This is a bitter-sweet post.  I am very glad Sonic is coming to Pottstown, however, it’s more border development.  Sonic obtained a zoning change to build on the west side of Route 100, adjacent to Upland Square. 

I am happy to see that the idea of some revenue sharing is being bantered about since Pottstown is getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop on all this development.  We all benefit from development but cash strapped Pottstown is the hub of this area and needs to see some benefit other than traffic congestion.

My response to Elwood Taylor’s (Upper Pottsgrove Commissioner) rebuttal of Steve Toroney’s letter about border development, is chill out Elwood.  Steve has a valid point.  Pottstown needs to get a piece of the development pie too.  We still lost other taxes/fees from Giant and other retailers who moved to Upland Square so it’s still less money for Pottstown, even taking into consideration borough employees will still generate Earned Income Tax.  Also border development feeds urban sprawl which is something we are supposed to be trying to control.

This needs to be a win-win for everybody.  That’s supposed to be the point of having a Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Committee.  Just sayin’ Elwood.

Pottstown Finally Takes A Stand Against Border Development

Today’s Pottstown Mercury has an article written by Evan Brandt which certainly makes this resident smile.  Pottstown is finally taking a stand against being skirted by development and having jobs and taxes sucked out of the borough.  Bravo!

Dan Weand and Steve Toroney appear to be the ring leaders in this movement based on the article.  Both are Borough Councilmen (Toroney is President) and on the Pottstown Planning Commission.  Steve Toroney also serves on the Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Committee.

The recent construction of Upland Square in West Pottsgrove Township and the proposed Commerce Corner center in Upper Pottsgrove Township have prompted this stand.  Giant and several other large stores have left Pottstown Plaza and Pottstown Center for Upland Square, thereby taking tax dollars and jobs with them.  Giant also evidently holds the lease on their former Pottstown Plaza site to keep competition out.  I cry foul!  That shopping center needs tenants to fill it back up again.  Purposely keeping that store vacant is just wrong and hurts Pottstown!  People need to know these things so they can make informed decisions about where they want to shop!

The State Street and Route 100 intersection will need redesigned again to accommodate Commerce Corner.  Part of the plan would be to make the entrance into Commerce Corner from Wilson Street.  The entrance would be from Pottstown Borough but Pottstown would not see any revenue, just more traffic on Wilson Street!

Certainly everyone benefits from the jobs created by Upland Square and the potential jobs from Commerce Corner.  However, harming Pottstown in the process is wrong.  This border development places a strain on Pottstown’s infrastructure such as increased water, sewer and police assistance.  Working together regionally is the only way to go.

I hope this movement gains traction and Pottstown can start to benefit from all this development instead of being surrounded by it!  More development is in the works!

Pottstown Chili’s To Open Monday 11/02/09

BREAKING NEWS!

A reliable source confirmed that Chili’s new restaurant in Upland Square is scheduled to open on Monday, 11/02/09. 

There is a sign out front that says In Training.  They are doing their practice runs and people are being invited by invitation only to sample their wares!  One such person alerted me that Monday is the big day! 

So keep your eyes open Pottstown!

Chili’s Has Their Sign Up And They Are Hiring

Chili’s, Upland Square has the big red pepper and their name on the building now.  The sign says now hiring so if you are looking for a job, head over the Chili’s.  If not, you can wait a while longer and then head over to eat some awesome food!

West Pottsgrove Township Needs More Police

I just read with some amusement that West Pottsgrove Township needs additional police protection to deal with increased traffic and crime from Upland Square shopping center. That usually happens when you build a 100 acre shopping center some where. Didn’t anybody think about this ahead of time? What exactly gets discussed at township meetings? You can go to a developer and present projections to get additional funding for such things.

So now the poor police chief is swamped and who knows how long it will take to approve, hire and get additional police on the streets. Could be MONTHS! West Pottsgrove might want to consider getting additional coverage from Pottstown or another surrounding township while they ramp up. A more regional approach might be needed if West Pottsgrove can’t handle it.

You have to look at more than dollar signs when you agree to this kind of massive development. Don’t get me wrong, the new center is great and I am enjoying shopping there. However, a proactive approach should have been taken. Instead we are left with a reactive option that will place a great deal of stress on a small police department.

Not impressed. Township supervisors need to get their act together and fast!

Chili’s is coming to Pottstown!!!!

On my semi-weekly pilgrimage to Target (Upland Square) tonight I noticed that Chili’s is taking shape F-A-S-T!  It was after 7 pm and they were working away on a Sunday, and a holiday weekend to boot, to get ready to open.  The sign out front says they are hiring!  OMG I can’t wait to lay a lip on some of their ribs!!!  We need more restaurants!!!!   Glad we are getting another good one.  At the rate they are going it won’t be long at all!  They made a ton of progress this week!

Upland Square is an awesome shopping center.  I look forward to seeing it filled with more new and exiting things!