The development of 311 W. Main St. in Lansdale was another big topic last week at the borough's town hall session.

Councilwoman Mary Fuller, who runs the town hall session with Lansdale Business Association president Doug DiPasquale, said the building, and even the Madison Lot project, are all open for ideas.

"We need the input," she said. "What do people want with the building? It didn't work in its current condition. How far does the community go with it?"

Residents Nancy Frei and John Darab referenced Mayor Andy Szekely's recent blog on Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch regarding the future of the former arts center.

In it, Szekely wrote that the idea of "if you build it, they will come" is Hollywood fantasy: an organization must be in existence first, and then find the venue to best suit it.

He also wrote that the arts are subjective, and one person's dream is not the other person's dream.

The biggest point Szekely wrote is that the center should be the home to the Lansdale Farmers' Market.

"I thought it was a nice idea," said Frei.

Borough Manager Timi Kirchner said the 311 W. Main St. Task Force will vet all opinions and ideas. She said task force Chairman Mike Sobel sent out Szekely's blog to the task force members to take into consideration.

"It will continue to be a great discussion," Kirchner said. "We're not going to jump on one idea."

Fuller, who sits on the task force, said discussions keep centering on arts as the purpose of the building.

"It doesn't have to stay that way," she said. "I think a mixed use is the way to go with that."

Resident Linda Breithaupt said in the meantime, some fundraising can be done for the center.

"We know we have to spend money to have it ready," she said. "We can do a 'Friends of the Art Center.' What is Discover Lansdale's purpose going to be as a nonprofit?"

Breithaupt said the borough has gone a whole year and the building has continued to sit there.

"I heard talk to tear it down and et cetera. We could have been working the whole year to get to a point to fund it," she said.

Fuller said part of the year was taken up with finding out specifically what needs to be addressed with the building and starting the process of bringing a consultant on board.

"Do we keep the performing arts center? Do we make part of it a theater and part of it a market? There is a wide range of ideas," she said. "How to rein those in, we need an expert to help us and figure out the best use."

She said the borough has "one more chance" and they need to do it right.

"We misfire and that's history," Fuller said. "Rome wasn't built in a day, and now I'm understanding why."

Chip Breithaupt said the borough should start small. The trick, he said, is getting it up to code.

"It needs to be a seven day a week building," he said. "People see the building as the key to Lansdale's improvement and revitalization."

Fuller said just to bring the building to code would cost between $400,000 and $500,000. She doesn't want to see the half million put into it wasted with more upgrading or even demolition.

"Your municipality owns the building - that's the bottom line," Fuller said. "I'd love to see a white knight ride in and buy it and do something with it, but that's unrealistic."

Fuller even suggested putting the feelers out to see if there is interest in a Friends for 311 W. Main St. type of nonprofit.

Kirchner asked for what reason.

"First, the ordinance demands the task force come up with a public or private sector solution," she said. "Fundraising at some level has to become a part of this."

She said the need to raise money has been out in the public for quite a while.

"A developer would have showed up a long time ago and said, 'Let me be your white knight,'" Kirchner said.

Secondly, Kirchner said that like it or not, it is Lansdale's building.

"You can have an opinion on if it's a good idea or not, but it's done," she said. "I would love to have a solution tomorrow, but I also know, having read reports, it's complicated."

She said there is a level of patience and dedication to it.

Furthermore, she said the addition of architect Scott Malin of Spiezle Architects at the meetings is to give a reality check of what will and will not work in the building.

"Number one is safety," she said, "and it's going to cost money for it to be safe."

Kirchner said it will take time if we want to do it right.

"We need to have really good consultants to come up with a strong business plan that the community can get involved in," she said. "In order to do the job right, it will take time."

Fuller urged community members to send ideas to her at mfuller@lansdale.org and she will pass them off to her task force members.

"Are we investing in this? Yes. Public funding paid for it and we have got to get to a point where it attracts private funding and get excited for that," Kirchner said.

The informal Lansdale Borough town hall session occurs the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Lansdale Parks and Recreation building.