Hatboro's 'Renaissance' Offers New Opportunities, Challenges

He calls it Hatboro’s “renaissance,” a time when national chains, unique specialty shops and health care practices alike are looking at the borough with a renewed focus, all vying for a spot in its bustling downtown.

Already in 2011, Hatboro’s Main Street Manager Stephen Barth notes that more than a half dozen businesses – creating about 20 new jobs – have opened in the borough. And, he can rattle off the names, addresses, and, in some cases, phone numbers for the new compounding pharmacy, gourmet candy store, physical therapy practice and more without blinking an eye.

To meet Barth - who even on the most frigid days this winter was out and about, stopping to see what the antique toy store had for sale and offering suggestions on the best places for breakfast and who makes the best pizza – you’d think that he lived in Hatboro all of his life. You’d never guess that the Doylestown resident has been on the job for less than six months.

“There is this energy,” Barth said. “It creates an excitement.”

Since Barth came into the fold in November, serving as the borough’s front-runner in the promotion and overall cheerleader for the business community, Hatboro’s Main Street, Greater Hatboro Chamber of Commerce and its Elm Street programs have all joined forces. Similar to the borough’s Main Street program, which focuses on revitalizing the downtown area, Elm Street sought to improve the residential, business and commercial areas in the Jacksonville Road corridor.

“People are unified in creating a vision of Hatboro,” he said. “It’s one for all, all for one.”

Ultimately, that vision includes new tenants for the long-shuttered Wachovia Bank building, the former Wendy’s fast food restaurant and the Big Marty’s furniture store. In all, Barth said the borough has about a 91 percent occupancy rate.

Doylestown Borough, by comparison, has maintained a “pretty steady” occupancy rate, according to Borough Manager John Davis.

“There’s always turnover,” Davis said, noting that empty storefronts are “nothing like the late 80s and 90s.” Davis said it would be “fair to say” the borough’s occupancy rate is over 90 percent.

Since the 1990s, Davis has been responsible for the Main Street manager duties following the expiration of state grants and the departure of the last manager, who had been paid through municipal funds.

In Hatboro, Barth’s salary for the first three months – November through January – was paid through grants. When the funding expired on Feb. 1, Hatboro Borough Council agreed to hire him through 2011.

Hatboro Main Street President Bob Johnston hopes Barth continues on beyond that.

“You need a person that’s dedicated to it,” said Johnston, of the role that had functioned in a volunteer capacity before Barth. “Success will breed success.”

In nearby Ambler, the borough’s Main Street President Peter Phillips said that because of county and municipal funding cuts, the program has had to make do without a Main Street manager for almost two years.

“We beefed up our volunteers and it’s been working out well for us currently,” Phillips said. “The core supporters have just been fantastic for us.”

Within the last two years, Phillips said four new restaurants have opened and three more are expected to open this summer. Of the new eateries, two are replacing restaurants that had closed, he said.

In Hatboro, restaurant joined the borough’s downtown last month.

And, by spring, Hatboro could have one fewer vacancy – or at least a possible tenant – for the borough-owned Wachovia property at 212 S. York Road. Through May 2, Hatboro is accepting bids for the purchase of the building, Borough Manager Tommy Ryan said.

Corporate realtors CresaPartners are marketing the 26,702-square-foot two-story building, which, according to the bid packet, is assessed at $767,000. The area where the structure is situated is zoned retail commercial. Permitted uses include retail sales; personal services such as barbershops, dry cleaning or shoe repair; restaurants; business or professional office; club, fraternal organization or a lodge; as well as a licensed day care center. 

John Sweeney, a Hatboro resident of 20 years, proves that retired bank buildings can have more than one life. Sweeney bought a closed down 4,000-square-foot bank building last year, at the corner of York Road and Montgomery Avenue. After renovating it with better lighting and an insulated ceiling among other improvements, he opened a second office, closer to home in January for . Besides space needed for his practice, Sweeney’s building houses two small offices and an upstairs apartment.

“I thought it was a good location with the parking. It was accessible,” Sweeney said. “Hatboro itself is a vibrant community.”

Another new business that fits in with the old-fashioned feel of Hatboro’s downtown is Philadelphia Professional Compounding Pharmacy, which opened at 23 S. York Road on Jan. 31. Like the name suggests, pharmacists mix together two or more prescription drugs into one dose. During a recent visit, pharmacist Rocco Dimattia was concocting beef-flavored capsules for dogs.

Donna Schappell, director of Compounding Services, said medicine can be made into flavored lollipops for kids, or multiple drugs can be made into one dose for elderly patients, or individuals who take a lot of medication.

“There’s a definite resurgence,” Schappell said of compounding pharmacies in general. “We’re finding more and more people are becoming better educated about themselves. They want a complete package.”

And for all of the home runs Hatboro has scored on the business front, the community is not without its strike outs. The is struggling financially and has been for some time, Barth said.

“I have been trying to help them rethink their business model,” Barth said. “I was able to get them a new computer system as most of their sales are online.”

Grants are also being sought, he said.

Last month, the store relocated to County Line Road in Warminster, leaving behind a 7,000-square-foot empty building.

“They are not actively marketing that property at this time,” Borough Manager Ryan said. “The folks at CVS have not decided what to do.”

And, at the former Big Marty’s store, equitable owner Michael Palladino said he’s not sure what the future holds.

“Everything is on hold at this point,” Palladino said. “The current ownership thinks the value of our property is five times the market. I don’t know what we’re going to do with it.”

Palladino said he has “plenty” of tenants for the space, but can’t seem to come to terms with the current owner. He said closing has been delayed because of it. Moving forward, Palladino said he will either “develop it based on our cost structure, or give it back to (the current owners).”

For Hatboro’s Main Street folks, finding a new use for the closed-down Wendy’s property is a top priority.

“It could be anything,” Johnston said, adding that he’d like to see it continue in the food vein.

Redeveloping that site and finding new owners for the other vacancies are all goals that Johnston and Barth plan to tackle in 2011 and beyond in their drive to revive Hatboro. 

“We need to walk before we can run,” Johnston said.