The outcome of the old Montgomery County/Airy Street Prison remains to be seen, but three proposals are being considered for its next chapter.
While the specifics associated with development plans have not yet been revealed, a previously issued request for expression of interest generated buzz for the future of the facility at 35 E. Airy St. that area residents fought to save from the wrecking ball.
“Obviously, we still have some important ways to go here, but I’m very happy and excited about where we’ve been so far and what we’ve set ourselves up for,” said Scott France, executive director of the Montgomery County Planning Commission.
Whatever the outcome, France stressed in an interview with MediaNews Group that he hopes it’ll be “transformative for Norristown.”France identified the area as prime real estate, a 2.8-acre parcel “on a corner property in the heart of Norristown,” as a series of future residential and commercial projects to revitalize the Montgomery County seat. He spotlighted ventures at Main and DeKalb streets, the Norristown State Hospital, and Montgomery County’s governmental campus as significant ventures.
“I hope it’s an amazing impact. I think what’s clear is it there’s multiple prongs to this project,” France said of the old prison.Dealing with such a “unique project,” France and others involved have taken their time throughout the process, stretching back more than two years.
“I can’t imagine a more complex project,” he said.“Dealing with existing structure and land and the different opportunities or differences of how a public-private partnership might result.”
Montgomery County/Airy Street Prison’s saga
It stemmed from initial plans from county officials back in 2023 to raze the building with the application of a demolition permit, but staunch public opposition led to a pause to proceedings.
The action was not looked favorably upon by community members and preservationists most interested in ensuring the circa 1851 portion, categorized as a “castle on the hill” designed by architect Napoleon LeBrun, remains standing.
“It’s rare that you would put a prison in a highly populated area in the modern era,” he said. “That’s not the usual … I don’t think you see modern prisons as architecturally significant as this one.”
Area residents, advocates and the grassroots group, “Friends of the Prison,” showed up in droves to local government meetings and town halls to make their opinions known.
The application was ultimately denied by Norristown Historical Architectural Review Board members in October 2023, citing a lack of sufficient paperwork, including an engineering report and enough evidence proving the need for demolition. The postponement was announced in November 2023, and the demolition permit was later withdrawn.
France has appeared before county commissioners periodically to discuss next steps related to the prison. He stressed the need for transparency, outreach and compromise when it comes to the search for balance between development and preservation.
“Starting from the point where the decision was made to maximize the ability to result in some element of preservation with the site as well as the accompanying development that could come with it’s been something that we’ve put all of our effort into, and know that it’s going to be a great benefit to Norristown-if we do it right— as well as the county,” he said.
Public input as process continues
Soliciting public input was vital to the next iteration of the Montgomery County/Airy Street Prison parcel. County officials solicited participation by publishing a survey, which had nearly 700 respondents. The top “best uses” for the property were centered around hospitality, culture and education, according to the survey results featured from an October 2024 open house.
When asked, “When it comes to the future of the site, what is most important to you?” historical preservation made up 58 percent of the answers. Of those, 79.02 percent of survey respondents would like to see the facade, castle-like structure “maintained.”
“Certainly, there’s obviously a wide range of opinions and … and as planners, we deal with the … public thoughts on everything, and that’s part of the process, and an important part, to make sure we understand where the interests are of everyone,” he said.
Developing a “full structural assessment report” was key to give prospective developers a better picture of the property. While one had been submitted previously, France said they ended up “starting from scratch,” bringing in a different firm that used technological resources to conduct a “geothermal analysis” and “evaluate foundational aspects” of the structure.
“The big decision was that we wanted to do a structural assessment report … to give as much information as possible on the site to prospective developers so that they could make the best decision and proposal, and with all the information that comes out of that,” he said. “So I’m confident we’ve set the stage to get some good responses.”
What’s to come? To be determined
France stressed how its findings aided future requests for expressions of interest, allowing developers to submit proposals or ideas related to the project.
“We framed the RFEI as our goal is to preserve as much as possible, but we didn’t want to mandate that the entire structure had to be preserved,” he said. “It’s in bad shape and there are elements that aren’t as critical or significant from a historical perspective, and that’s subjective. Not everyone may agree with that.”
Aiming to preserve at least the building’s facade was critical.
“Acknowledging its past in the history in Norristown, I think it’s an opportunity that it would build into this,” France said, but “as far as the uses that come out of it, it’s wide open.”
“There will be a stage of negotiation beyond that, and part of it is the complexity of this project,” France said, unsure if existing parcels will be combined or remain separate.
Certain requests for the project included approximately 40,000 square feet of office space and around 450 to 500 parking spaces.
“I think there’s some room for negotiation. I think the 40,000 [square feet] we’re pretty clear on. The parking is really the big question,” France said, acknowledging internal studies have been conducted to better assess the needs of county-owned facilities in Norristown.
“But with … this new opportunity, I think … we consciously decided to group the surface parking lot that the county owns with the prison site to maximize the number of ideas and possibilities that could come of it, and obviously that’s where we lost essentially approximately 200 spaces that are existing,” he said.
Along with identifying county priorities, France also suggested cultivating a “lawn area” or type of “green infrastructure.”
“I think another goal that I’d like to see is the public benefit, public space, and so even though we’re in a very urbanized environment and in downtown Norristown, you always look for opportunities…” he said.
With interviews expected over the next few months, France maintained that nothing has been decided yet, and internal committees have reviewed proposals and consulted historical preservationists to balance the interests of all involved in an effort to bring something to fruition eventually.
“We need investment in Norristown. We’re seeing it at the State Hospital grounds. I think all of these combined, you work for 20 years to try to set the stage for all this to happen, and then when it does, it’s the momentum, and prison could be a huge part of that momentum,” he said.
