Norristown Pa.’s New Turnpike Connection Leads to Exactly Where It Should: The Riverfront

Two posts ago I observed that the significance of the Lafayette Street Extension Project lies in its two end points: the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Norristown’s riverfront.  I focused on the first, recounting the contrasting experiences of Norristown in the 1950s and the Conshohockens in the 1980s to demonstrate how important such a connection can be.  Now I take up the subject of the road’s other end, because it is at least as significant as the turnpike connection.  That other end is close enough to Norristown’s riverbank to spur access—and thus development—along that stretch of town.  That is exactly where the greatest opportunity lies.  Yes, you want Main Street to revive, businesses to set up shop, and many other good things, but those things have a better chance of taking place if both towns make a riverfront makeover their primary goal. 

The biggest asset in the quest of Norristown/Bridgeport for revival is their riverfronts.   Both towns stand to benefit from a historic reversal of priorities for the use of the floodplain along each riverbank.  What used to be the lowest priorities are now the highest, and much of the floodplain now stands ready to accommodate that shift.  Opportunity beckons to those towns that can take advantage of it.  that’s already happening big time in the Conshohockens, but the efforts of Royersford and Pottstown haven’t had similar success.  This demonstrates the importance of interconnection; in this case, specifically the connection to a limited-access highway, about which I have already written.  Norristown/Bridgeport will possess that connection, so the future is bright.

This historic change can work together with another—and closely interrelated--fundamental change, that of the river itself.  The River was the first of the three fundamental realities of life along the Schuylkill River to turn positive for the towns along it.  In “the good old days,” the Schuylkill River was little more than an open sewer; it carried vast quantities of waste products (from both industry and people), it smelled, and was altogether unhealthy.  Aquatic life had pretty much been killed off.  Cleanup was a slow process, one that moved by fits and starts during the first half of the 20^th century, but began in earnest in 1945, when the Commonwealth began a project to dredge and clean the river.  Several environmentally progressive projects and mandates followed, in attempts to tackle the waste at its sources.  The mass closing of the river-polluting industries, which was otherwise very unwelcome, actually aided in the effort.  The Schuylkill was proclaimed a “Scenic River” in the 1970s, and has steadily continued to improve in quality.

One result of this fundamental change was a historic reversal of the housing priorities in the river towns.  In “the good old days,” you measured the wealth of a river town family by how far away it lived from the river.  Most workers had to walk, so residences were small, close together and not far from the factories.  Those who could afford their own transportation, joined later by those who could afford the trolley ride, could extend the distance according to their financial circumstances.  Drive around the river towns today, and see how the types of buildings in the different areas reflect this fact of history.  In “the good old days,” the only people who lived along the floodplain were those who could not afford to live anywhere else.

But the industries are gone, and all but a vestige of the railroads, with none upriver from Norristown that accept passengers.  The only positive result was “buildable land,” which just happened to be in steadily more scenic locations, due to the improvement of the river.  Today, we see the full extent of the change: people with money to spend (or invest) want to live as close to the river as possible and developers are accommodating them.   The Conshohockens, which in addition to their transportation access happen to flank one of the most beautiful sections of the lower river, have demonstrated how popular—and profitable—this new residential priority can be.  The riverfronts of Norristown/Bridgeport still hold much “buildable land.” What would best go where has many factors, perhaps the major one being the Norristown dam, and the difference it has on the river’s navigability. 

But new homes must not be the only consideration for developing a new waterfront.   Another 180 degree reversal of the old priorities stands to benefit river towns.  The only challenge to housing as the floodplain’s lowest priority during the “good old days” was recreation.  If people didn’t want to live near the river, they certainly did not want to spend their precious free time anywhere near it either.  Passage on or in an open sewer does not tempt those with money to spend on recreation, as the dismal record of the 19^th’s century river-oriented businesses testify.

Recreation on this scenic river—or in it—can now be undertaken safely.  The Port Indian Regatta is only a memory, but muscle-powered competition is expanding, from traditional rowing to the decidedly non-traditional activity of Dragon Boat racing.  But it is recreation along the riverside that has proven to be the most popular bringer of people to the Schuylkill Valley.  The key to this exciting development was the existence of abandoned railroad track beds after the rails had been torn out, evidence that even disaster can bring unexpected benefits.  These have turned out to be quite popular for bicyclists and those who want to exercise outdoors.  The transformation began locally with the Philadelphia to Valley Forge Bikeway, and has expanded in both concept and extent.  It is now the Schuylkill River Trail, and it passes right by Norristown’s riverfront.  Today the Trail is a vital and increasingly popular lure to potential visitors (read “spenders”), and will be so for potential residents (read “those who spend even more”).  Bridgeport has the Chester Valley Trail coming, plus—hopefully—the “Bridgeport loop trail” to connect it with the Borough’s riverfront and to the Schuylkill River Trail.  Again, it’s all about interconnection.

The real keys to the revival of an old river mill town?  They are all there along the riverfront, in an admittedly raw—or even potential—form, but there nonetheless.  So this is where I conclude by promoting yet another badly needed interconnection, a purely political one, inspired by a common plight and a common way out.  People will pay good money to live along a scenic river; the Conshohockens demonstrate that.  But what will the new river residents in Norristown have for a view?  The Borough of Bridgeport, of course, which does somewhat lower the scenic level of the river along it.  By the same token, of course, potential new residents along the river on the Bridgeport side would have a view of Norristown, which can be argued is better, but hardly ideal.  Thus revival must be a joint effort; both towns possess much the same general opportunities, for mostly the same reasons, because they lie directly opposite each other on their common reason for existence, the Schuylkill River.  One of the limits to their potential rise could be the one they place on themselves by thinking only of themselves.