Tuesday, May 14, 2013
After Montgomery County denied an additional $11 million loan for what it considers a nonviable development project, the lender filed for foreclosure on Logan Square in Norristown.
The senior lender behind the Logan Square development project, located at Markley Street and West Johnson Highway in Norristown, filed for foreclosure on the property on May 3, putting in jeopardy a $24.5 million investment the county made to the development between 2009 and 2011. The project began in 2007 when Charles Gallub, principal at Develcom in Bellmawr, NJ, began working with government officials and a private investment group, Axis Advisors, LP, to develop the 24.5 acre site, including the abandoned Sears and Ports of the World, totaling 150,000 square feet in retail space. A plan to bring Raleigh Studios to the property fell through after failed negotiations over tax credits with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the plan …
Former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, a Democrat, announced Tuesday that he's exploring another run for the Senate; Sestak narrowly lost to Pat Toomey in 2010.
A rematch between former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak and U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey is in the works as Sestak announced Tuesday that he's exploring a run for the Senate in 2016. Democrat Sestak, a former Navy vice admiral, lost narrowly to Republican Toomey in 2010. Sestak, of Delaware County, has formed an exploratory committee—the equivalent of launching a campaign in terms of Federal Elections Commission paperwork, according to a Washington Post report. Can Sestak beat Toomey? Who would you vote for if the Senate election was held today? Tell us in the comments section below. Tuesday's announcement ends speculation that Sestak, 61, is raising money to challenge Gov. Tom Corbett. Sestak raised $460,000 in the first quarter of this year. A Sestak-…
Monday, May 13, 2013
State changes borders of districts, angering many Montco Dems.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has made its decision. But area Democrats aren't too happy about it. In fact, they plan to fight it. According to Newsworks, the decision has carved Montgomery County up into six state senate districts, which Montgomery County Democrats say is a republican shot at "gerrymandering the map for political gain." Attorney Adam Bonin has been selected to represent the county's Dems. Bonin said it was part of a partisan plan for the Philadelphia suburbs. "If you look at the four counties that surround Philadelphia, if you look at those voters as a whole, they are 50-50 Republican and Democrat," Bonin said to Newsworks. "The way that this map is drawn, it's drawn to produce seven Republican and two Democratic …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Upper Merion is selling a Chevy Impala, two Dodge Chargers, a Ford Taurus, two Ford trucks and other traffic machinery and equipment in an online auction that ends Monday.
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Sunday, May 12
From Upper Merion Township: In an online auction that started on April 29 and ends on Monday, Upper Merion Township is selling the following items at online auction: By using an established, but innovative, online government auctions site specifically designed for municipalities called Municibid.com, Upper Merion is looking to garnish thousands of dollars to be put back into its budget. Municibid was established in 2006 and has grown steadily since, with 1,000 government agencies auctioning surplus through the efficient online system. The township is auctioning the surplus vehicles and other traffic machinery online because the website has an established nationwide reach growing every day. Auctions on Municibid result in competitive …
Friday, May 10, 2013
PA governor declares May as a safety month.
Warm weather brings us nicer days at the park, the season's sports and longer days of sunshine. With them also comes an increase of another sight and sound of spring. Motorcycles are out more than ever, as clear weather is a welcome mat for area riders. "With the increasing popularity of motorcycling in Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Corbett has signed a proclamation commemorating May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month," said Jan McKnight, of PA Internet News Service, said in a recent release. To bring the issue of such safety measures more into the Commonwealth's citizens' eyes, the governor Act, which was passed in 2012, reminds drivers to be careful. "Motorcycle safety was emphasized with Corbett's signing of Act 84 of 2012, which …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Various locations will host the summer project.
The Montgomery County Health Department (MCHD) will be conducting its annual Low-Cost Rabies Immunization Clinics on Saturdays in June for the the program's 22nd consecutive year. "As in previous years, these clinics are located throughout the county in order to ensure that resident pet owners have access to this disease prevention service," said Jessica Willingham, communications assistant for the Montgomery County Office of Communications. The 2013 Annual Rabies Clinic locations, dates and times are: LOCATION DATE TIME Abington Recycling Center, Florey Lane (off of Easton Road), Abington June 1 9 – 11 a.m. Collegeville Community Park, Fourth and Park avenues, Collegeville June 8 9 – 11 a.m. Encore Experiences at …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Schwartz names campaign staff for 2014 primary run at PA governor.
It's no secret that U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, (D-Montgomery), is making a run at the 2014 Pennsylvania's governor race. Now, the campaign staff isn't being kept quiet either. According to PoliticsPA, Schwatz has hired: 1. Rich Davis, Dixon/Davis Media Group 2. Pete Brodnitz, Benenson Strategy Group 3. Ed Peavy, Adnaan Muslim, Mark Bergman, Mission Control Inc. 4. Rachel Hirschberg, President, Berger Hirschberg Strategies 5. Pat Millham, Senior Advisor 6. Aubrey Montgomery, Finance Director 7. Reesa Kossoff, Communications Director 8. Neil Deegan, Political Director 9. Erin Gorman, Deputy Finance Director – National Fundraising For more information, including full bios on each staffer, visit the PoliticsPA story posted here.
New mobile site allows users to check in on the go.
Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, today announced the agency is offering a new mobile optimized website, specifically aimed at smartphone users across the country. People visiting the agency’s website, via smartphone (Android, Blackberry, iPhone, and Windows devices) will be redirected to the agency’s new mobile-friendly site. Once there, visitors can access a mobile version of Social Security’s Frequently Asked Questions, an interactive Social Security number (SSN) decision tree to help people identify documents needed for a new/replacement SSN card, and mobile publications which they can listen to in both English and Spanish right on their phone. "We are committed to meeting the changing needs of the American …
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Still in recovery from Sequestration, the Montgomery County Housing Authority looks at options for saving even more.
Federal funding is already stretched thin when it comes to Pennsylvania's housing authorities. Montgomery County is no different. Still feeling the hurt from cuts known as "sequestration," the county's Housing Authority is now reviewing what to do with even less. According to Herald-Mail.com, the state is facing deeper cuts to federal funds, "prompting them to shed employees, cut back rent vouchers or put off repairs to housing they own," according to the report. "The cuts leave some housing authorities without enough money to meet existing lease agreements with private landlords, although HUD has suggested that it will cover those deficits, said Joel Johnson, executive director of the Montgomery County Housing Authority, which is among …
The move would transfer the responsibility for $17-18 million in needed repairs from taxpayers to a private owner. The county could then lease the building back from its new owner.
Montgomery County could sell and lease back its primary office building as it seeks to avoid spending tax dollars on needed repairs to the facility, the county announced Thursday. The county purchased the One Montgomery Plaza tower, which sits across Swede Street from the county courthouse in Norristown, for $26 million in 2006. The building houses the bulk of Montgomery County's government offices, but needs as much as $18 million in repairs. "There is significant cost to fixing this building and putting it in a condition that, frankly, it should have been put in several years ago, but that maintenance need was ignored by the prior administrations," Board of Commissioners chairman Josh Shapiro said. By selling the building, the county …
LongTimeObserver
9:14 am on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
More pipe dreams. In a desperate attempt to "save" Norristown everyone signed off on this project when the economy was tanking. No one did their due diligence on this on. As soom as all the financing was in place and they were ready to move into their newly renovated building USM sells to Emcor, deals like this take more than a few months to put together. What about th 600 jobs they were going to… more ›