Ardmore explores development alternatives

Hobbled by a $30 million funding gap, ambitious plans for the Ardmore Transit Center are giving way to less-expensive options that would still address some of the town's parking and economic woes.

The latest idea is to rethink the $100 million project on Lancaster Avenue's north side, possibly scaling it down for later years.

Another approach would allow development to proceed on Lancaster Avenue's south side, near Cricket Avenue, with parking, retail stores, and condos or apartments, all behind the former Ardmore movie theater.

The Cricket plan, drafted years ago but held in abeyance by the developer, would "jump-start business and make Ardmore a place people want to be," said Teri Simon, a former member of the township Planning Commission.

During a meeting at the Lower Merion Township Building Thursday night, township officials and developer Carl Dranoff solicited views on these projects from business owners and residents.

Most in the audience of 50 said any plan should include expanding parking, stimulating business, and improving the Ardmore train station - all at an affordable cost.

As ideas were tossed about, Dranoff winced, realizing that the $3 million already spent on planning the $100 million transit center project might have been for naught. The transit center has been discussed for eight years.

"I'm as frustrated as anyone," the white-haired developer said. "My hair was brown when this started. If we keep this up, I'll be ready for the nursing home."

With nudging from Township Commissioner Cheryl Gelber, those at the meeting zeroed in on several proposals. Township planners were asked to calculate costs that could be reviewed at a public meeting April 7.

The Cricket Avenue project would occupy land now used as metered parking. It would include 11,000 square feet of retail space facing Cricket. In addition, 112 three-story housing units would surround 113 underground parking spaces for residents. Access would be from Cricket Avenue. Another deck of parking, covered but above ground, would be for the public.

There was a drawback, Dranoff warned, saying condos would be a bad idea, given the state of the economy. "In this market, condos could not be financed," he said.

The second idea discussed was to build the $100 million transit center as planned - with a 500-car garage, a mini-Main Street, apartment building, and a new train station and platform - but to build it in phases as money becames available.

The third approach was to scale down the transit center project to $60 million, with a 270-car garage, smaller apartment building, and mini-Main Street, but no new train station or platform improvements. Critics have dubbed it "the transit center without the train station."

The fourth proposal would take the $60 million project and add two decks of parking to create 88 more spaces for an added cost of $6 million.

The fifth version was to build a 600-car garage and drop the apartment building, but retain the project's other features.

Dranoff said that no matter which project was chosen, funding would be an issue.

"There's going to be a gap, no matter what. Let's jump on the least [objectionable] project and go with it," Dranoff recommended.

Promised state funding for the center suffered last year when the federal government denied Pennsylvania permission to put tolls on Interstate 80 in order to fund transit improvements. That prompted SEPTA to shelve 22 capital projects, including the Ardmore station, in effect removing $10 million on which the township had counted.

"We tried to gain the funding and work through the obstacles that are in our way, but we have to recognize that we've got insurmountable obstacles," Township Manager Douglas Cleland said.

Merchants at the meeting said attention must be given to creating temporary parking for shoppers during construction or shops would die.

"Without temporary parking, you might as well put a nail in the coffin of every retailer in Ardmore," gift-shop owner Sherry Tillman said.

Planner Angela Murray said the township had drafted a tentative plan for temporary parking and was looking for more spaces.