Bottom Dollar expected to open next year
Don’t expect to buy a turkey for Thanksgiving at the new Bottom Dollar Food grocery store in Ambler this year, as construction isn’t HxSHFWHG WR fiNLVK uNWLO NHxW yHDU.
Representatives from the grocery store chain had originally told Ambler Borough Council in 0DUFK WKHLU LNWHNWLRN wDV WR fiN- ish construction by November at the former Knopf Motors property at 219 E. Butler Ave. in order to be open in time for Thanksgiving. Now Bottom Dollar representatives have said those plans have EHHN VKHOvHG GuH WR fiNDO GHWDLOV that still need to be put in order.
“While we have not announced DN RIfiFLDO RSHNLNJ GDWH, wH HxSHFW to open the Ambler store in 2013. We look forward to bringing a low-cost grocery option to the surrounding community,” said Tenisha Waldo, Bottom Dollar Food spokeswoman. “We are currently working through some requirements we committed to when we received our municipal approvals that involve adjacent property owners. Once we have completed this work, we will determine next VWHSV, LNFOuGLNJ fiNDOLzLNJ RuU construction schedule. We remain very committed to opening a Bottom Dollar Food store in the Ambler community.
Joshua Petersohn, president of Moreland Development, the company behind the construction, said they are “tying up loose ends,” “dotting i’s and crossing t’s” and VDLG WKHy wHUH “FORVH WR fiNLVKLNJ land development dates.”
He said they were “totally committed” and were “excited and pushing” to begin FRnVWruFWLRn EuW nHHGHG WR finDlL]H VRPH GHtails behind the scenes before it could begin.
Petersohn said this is the typical process for this type of construction but was “a good thing.”
Christen Pionzio, lawyer for Bottom Dollar, said they were in the “cleanup part” of negotiations.
“Ninety percent of work is done in the last 10 percent,” she said.
Pionzio said they’ve worked out a deal with Ambler Beverage next door to share a driveway, and agreements have been made with the borough. Most of the work is “document cleanup,” she said.
She said the process seems slow because many of the people involved are on vacation, and many documents have to be passed back and forth, but she said they are “pedal to the metal” to get started.
In order to meet the original November deadline, Bottom Dollar requested Ambler Borough Council approve both the preliminary and final land development proposals together. The store also asked for a waiver from a required traffic study since the borough had just completed one at the site.
Borough Manager Mary Aversa said she was not surprised to hear the news and said “this is just the norm” and “sometimes it takes longer than anticipated … things take time.” She said there are a lot of building requirements to contend with from knocking the old building down to putting up a brand new one.
It’s been more than three years since $PElHr KDV KDG D grRFHry VWRrH. ,n -Dnuary 2009, the former Ambler Acme, located at 272 E. Butler Ave., now home to the CVS, closed its doors.