Publicker buildings to be demolished
No formal development application filed for former distillery site
LIMERICK >> Heavy equipment at the former Publicker distillery is being used to clear overgrowth so that the new property owner can make way for demolition work to begin on the deteriorating buildings there.
The township has issued a demolition permit to take the buildings down, although there is no timetable for that work to begin, according to Limerick Township Manager Dan Kerr.
The owner, Tim Hendricks, has promised the township he will “provide adequate notice” of the demolition work so the community, especially those living near the property, can be informed in advance, Kerr wrote in response to a MediaNews Group query.
The property is of great significance to both the township and the residents of Linfield village. It is the elephant in the room when it comes to the Linfield Master Plan.
In 2020, Hendricks floated the idea of building 1,100 homes, stores and offices on the 200acre site of the former distillery off Linfield Road. Then, last February he changed course and proposed building warehouses there.
One month later, the 25-monthlong effort to craft a master plan for the Linfield section of town was presented to the township supervisors.
However, “the board has not yet formally approved the final draft of the study,” Kerr wrote. The supervisors have agreed to discuss with Hendricks what zoning amendments would be required to allow the proposed warehouse use.
“Based on the outcome of these discussions, the draft Linfield Master Plan may need to be updated before final approval and