Market plans in the works
At this point, no one knows exactly what businesses will be in the planned North End Market, but here’s what shoppers can expect to find.
“Food, drink and retail and a place to gather,” Barbara “Bea” Smith, the owner of the building where the market is planned, and Michael McCarthy, who is doing marketing for it, said during a recent tour of the building at North Main Street and Hillside Avenue that once was home to Hope’s clothing store.
There’s room for several small-venue businesses in the two-story building, which will also have indoor and outdoor seating areas and, possibly, a rooftop eating place, Smith, who also owns Ark Animal Hospital in Souderton and Chalfont, said.
Having a gathering place is an important part of the plan, she said.
“People want to do a lot of shopping online, but they want to come to a place like this where they can see other people and share ideas and gather,” Smith said.
The businesses that will be at North End are the type where the owner is usually there, she said.
“That’s important because they love to talk and communicate,” she said.
The name North End Market comes from the location in the northern part of Montgomery County. North End is expected to draw in customers from about a 10-mile radius, Smith said.
“We really are the epicenter of a lot of happening places,” she said.
The goal is to have the market open in about a year, she said. Initially, it will probably be open Thursdays through Sundays, although the number of open days could increase as it grows, she said.
The market will be an incubator for small businesses and entrepreneurship, she said. It will also create a number of jobs, although it’s too early to predict exactly how many, she said.
“Bea’s vision is to lower the barrier entry for small and growing businesses so they can come here, have a place to work, have a place to grow, and then ultimately outgrow the market space,”
McCarthy said.
At that point, the businesses can move into other local space, he said.
The building is almost a century old, Smith said.
She said she’s done research on how old towns prosper.
“The two things that I found were towns that tear down their old buildings and towns that don’t revitalize and keep their historic buildings don’t thrive,” she said.
At the June 18 Souderton Borough Council work session, Smith, McCarthy and architect Peter Stampfl outlined the plans.
“Our vision for this marketplace would be a place that would grow the community and bring in other people from outside,” Smith said.
Although not present at the June 18 meeting, Joseph Price, who does project and construction management, is another member of the North End team, Smith said.
“His goal is to refurbish buildings so that the town can keep its traditions while it grows,” she said.
The two sides of the building are separated by a masonry wall, which will be opened up to allow access on the inside between the two sides, Stampfl said.
In the plan, “We’ve increased the size and the amount of glass to bring a lot of natural light into the building from the front,” he said.
“The building is a brick building,” he said. “We’re looking to have the brick cleaned, remove the paint and restore it back to the brick that is underneath.”
Asked about possible issues with the plans, Stampfl said there could be one with parking.
“I love parking problems. When we have parking problems, we got something going on,” council President Brian Goshow said.
Parking problems can be solved, he said.
“There’s plenty of parking in the downtown,” Goshow said.
There are opportunities for shared parking, he said.
Goshow said he also likes to see adaptive reuse of buildings such as is planned in this case, and likes that there are flexible space sizes available for the businesses.
Mayor John Reynolds said he agrees with Goshow about the parking.
“A parking problem is a good problem. That means people are coming to town,” Reynolds said, “but it is an issue that obviously we have to deal with.”
Vendors and employees should park a little further away to leave closer parking spaces for customers, he said.
Smith said a borough parking lot near Ark Animal could be used by the vendors and employees.
Council member Richard Halbom said he thinks the market plans are exciting.
The market will add to other redevelopment already in the works in Souderton, including the new Northbound restaurant coming to the former Souderton train station and the planned reopening of the Broad Theater, borough officials said.
Businesses or persons interested in getting more information about the North End Market plans or renting space there can contact North End by emailing apply@thenorthendmarket.com.