TIME TO COUNT CHICKENS?

Royal Farms on track for possible spring opening at Norristown Centre

NORRISTOWN >> It may be a little pre-mature to prime your taste buds for that famous fried chicken just yet, but it looks like Royal Farms is well on track to make its long-awaited debut at Norristown Centre in 2020.

Anticipating a spring opening is not unreasonable, noted Joe Anania of property owner Norristown Centre LP.

“I’ve been on this property since 2007 when we were originally the senior lender. We’ve started the site work for the lease we have with Royal Farms for both the improvements on 202 (Markley Street) and the general improvements to the property, like the new curbing. And PennDOT will start the work to widen the road soon. But the Royal Farms development will not occur until we’ve completed all our site work and we turn the pad over to them. Royal Farms will be building a store once we complete all the site work, which will be done by the end of this year.”

An opening in the spring of next year will depend on a number of factors, Anania allowed.

“It will depend on weather and everything else,” he said.

“We’re very excited. We started this project in 2015,

so it’s been a long project. And we’re very pleased that we’re to the point where we’ve actually started construction on the ground for the work that we need to do before we can turn the site over to Royal Farms.”

The Maryland-based gas station-convenience store Royal Farms chain founded in 1959, now operates nearly 20 stores in Pennsylvania, including Colmar, Downingtown, Harleysville, Aston and Lancaster.

GARY PULEO — MEDIANEWS GROUP Work has begun on the Norristown Centre site preparing the ground for Royal Farms construction in 2020.