HATBORO, PA —Driving down York Road Saturday night, the sign shines bright in the distance.
The Gamburg’s Furniture sign, which glowed as a beacon in the night for nearly 100 years, still shined bright on this recent Saturday night.
But after permanently shutting its doors in November, the windows that once showcased furniture are now all boarded up, leading some residents to speculate on a Hatboro community Facebook page this week just what’s going on at the property.
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Some residents speculated on posts on “The Real Voices of Hatboro” Facebook page that the building was going to be torn down. Others wondered if the property had been vandalized.
Another wondered why the sign is still lit even though the owners retired and the furniture store ceased business.
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Others mentioned that the boarded-up building has created another downtown business district eyesore, something that was similar to the long-dormant CVS property nearby that had also been boarded up.
The long-dormant CVS property on South York Road was the first project under the borough’s mixed-use Town Center Ordinance to receive the stamp of approval by the Borough Council at the end of November.
Borough officials said the developer is working on the next stepsof filing agreements, and posting financial security, among other items.
The Canalley Property at 21-23 & 37 N. York Road was issued conditional use approval on Jan. 22.
The developer still has multiple land development items to address and will be going back before the Planning Commission on March 12 before then once again appearing before the Borough Council. Approval on that project could be months away, officials said.
But the fate of the Gamburg’s property is still up in the air.
Last August, Gamburg’s owners sent a letter to priority customers announcing they were closing the business after 94 years in the downtown business district and retiring.
Some on the Hatboro Facebook page wondered whether Gamburg’s will go the route of the two other projects and be developed for apartments and retail on the first floor.
But borough officials said nothing has come across their way.
“The borough has not received any applications pertaining to the Gamburg’s property,” borough officials said. “If an application is received, it will be reviewed by the planning commission and the public will have ample time to provide comments and feedback on the project.”
In late January 2022, the Hatboro Borough Council approved a mixed-use ordinance for a section of York Road from Byberry Road to Montgomery Avenue.
The ordinance allows developers to make proposals that could see building heights go to 60 feet provided they meet certain guidelines, meaning that the downtown district could have taller buildings and apartments.
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