Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Plans reintroduced for Mosteller Building
WEST CHESTER » It’s been said that if you don’t like the weather in the mountains to wait 15 minutes.
A similar sentiment could also have applied at Tuesday’s borough council work session, but the time period was two years instead of a quarter of an hour.
Builder Eli Kahn, of D-Town Associaties, LP, along with partners Adam Lowe and Matt Adams wanted to gauge the “temperature” of borough council concerning his proposed mixed-use building at the former site of the Mosteller Building, at Church and Gay streets.
Kahn was likely pleased to learn that the temperature of council had warmed considerably to his project since he had introduced a somewhat similar plan two years ago.
Plans for a smaller structure were then approved, but Kahn wanted to go taller.
Council then balked at a fivestory mix of office and groundfloor retail. So Kahn waited. “When council didn’t want to talk about this, we walked away,” Kahn said. “They don’t want it, fine.”
And then the make-up of borough council changed. Since those contentious meetings two years ago, four of council’s seven members are new.
“This is something the borough doesn’t have, something unique,” said Kahn, about what he refers to as the “Plaza Plan” at the “premier corner” in the borough. “This doesn’t exist on any street in the borough.”
More than 60 residents packed the meeting room at Borough Hall. They applauded supporters of the Plaza Plan several times and many were likely among 1,764 who signed a petition favoring DTown’s plans.
The project also has the support of state Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19, former state Rep. Dan Truitt, R-156, three former mayors and the West Chester Business Alliance.
Kahn bought the former Chester County Annex from the county in 2011 and said that every plan he is considering would call for demolishing the existing structure.
Kahn’s vision calls for a 45,000 square-foot, fourstory building, with three floors of Class A office space above a floor of retail, and one or two fine dining restaurants.
Extensive use of glass is planned, along with construction of a “gathering place” at a large corner plaza.
Councilman Don Braceland, W5, was on council the last time Kahn introduced the plan and hasn’t changed his mind since then.
“This has been going on for a long time,” Braceland said. “When I first saw this plan, I said this is what West Chester needs. This is going to be the crown jewel of West Chester.”
Former councilman and present Mayor Jordan Norley was adamantly opposed to adding more liquor licenses to the downtown business district, as was proposed by Kahn, but seemingly approved of the project otherwise. Norley does not get a vote, unless borough council is deadlocked and requires a tiebreaking vote from the mayor.
Braceland disagreed with Norley.
“If we’re going to stop this project because of liquor licenses, we are going to have a major, major problem.”
Kahn said adding restaurants is key.
“To attract the kind of tenants we want on the first floor it is important that this corner be anchored by restaurants,” Kahn said. “It’s important for us to have these (liquor) licenses. If it’s a ‘no’ we’d like to know now.”
Kahn said with a smile that new eateries would not be like the Ratskeller or Jakes. Chicken fingers and nachos would not be on the menu.
Council President Diane LeBold, W2, said that a fine dining restaurant could become “a centerpiece of the borough.”
Councilman Bernie Flynn, W6, said that the Lshaped building site “resonates old-time West Chester with a little modern art.”
He noted that when the building is viewed from above, it resembles a smiley face.
“It will bring happiness to that corner,” Flynn said. “This is the first block of West Chester and we’re probably never going to get a shot to fix this corner again.”
Councilman Bill Scott, W1, said that the proposed building does not “preserve the character and integrity of the borough.”
The building would not be a match, Scott said.
“Don’t just look at the pretty picture and think that is the end of it,” Scott said. “It’s not consistent with the downtown borough we’re trying to preserve.”
The outcome is not a done deal.
Kahn seeks zoning relief, revision of zoning ordinances, abolishment of what he said are “archaic” existing regulations for facade and setbacks and relief from providing on-site parking as is required.
Kahn wants to exceed the existing 45-foot height ordinance by 15 feet, which is allowable by conditional use.
Kahn said the project would require his use of 55 parking spaces in Lot 10, at the corner of Church and Chestnut streets.
Kahn said that office workers would typically only use the parking spaces from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and there would be no impact on the longtime popular borough staple, the farmer’s market.