Lansdale Sets Sights on 'Lights on White's'

Lansdale residents Keith and Kristen Heffintrayer have a bright idea for a new holiday event at White's Road Park

Lansdale residents Keith and Kristen Heffintrayer have a bright idea for in wintertime. The couple proposed an event to the Lansdale Borough Economic Development Committee Monday night – Lights on White’s. The concept: a Christmas light display located along the walking trail of White’s Road Park during the holiday season of 2012. “Honestly, we were just tired of driving up to Allentown each year,” Keith said of the inspiration for the Lansdale event, referencing that city’s “Lights in the Parkway” annual event. “Lansdale already has established holiday traditions, including the tree lighting at Railroad Plaza, the Santa House, the lights and decorations down Main and Broad, and the recently-added Lansdale Business Association’s Holiday …

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Borough Branding Initiative Pushes Forward With Focus Group

Residents and committee members participate in a series of exercises aimed to help define Lansdale's identity

The Lansdale branding initiative took another step forward on Tuesday night, as members of the Communications Commission and the Economic Development Committee served as a focus group for the community branding consultants from North Star Destination Strategies. Led by North Star president Don McEachern, the committee members -- and a handful of residents -- participated in a series of exercises aimed at gathering honest feedback on what people like and dislike about the borough. Among the features that residents enjoyed most were the walkability of  the town, affordable housing, accessibility to major highways and public transportation, the farmers' market, and the many annual activities and celebrations. On the flip side, concerns about …

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Dresher Arcade Books New Tenant

The Archive Bookstore plans to open a satellite location on Main Street.

Previously, Archive Bookstore owner Dale Mechalas would watch with envious eyes as businesses on Main Street capitalized on events such as First Fridays, while his bookstore, located at 725 W. Second St., stayed relatively unknown. "Especially during First Fridays, I would see all these people up on Main Street and I would get so jealous.  I wondered how we could get these people to come to the best kept secret in Lansdale," said Mechalas. He tried a variety of measures to secure visitors to his store, including having his employees wear sandwich boards and pass out flyers.  Still, nothing seemed to work. After a year of poking and prodding by Lansdale Mayor Andy Szeleky, Mechalas finally decided to join fellow business owners at the …

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Szekely talks of bringing Italian restaurant to former freight yard

The committee has been elevated to council level, will continue will its goals and efforts

Due to the continued success of the Economic Development Committee (EDC), the group will be elevated to a council level. Because of the new arrangement, Mayor Andy Szekely is stepping down as a committee member to continue his dedication to bringing in new business to the borough, but will continue to attend meetings. One location that Szekely has his sights on as a potential new business enterprise is the former freight yard at the intersection of Broad and Vine streets.  Szekely said there are ongoing negotiations with developers on the property across the street from Lansdale Borough Hall. "I am talking openly with business owners on the possibility of building an Italian restaurant on the site,” Szekely said. In other business, Code …