Finally!

Finally, there is some movement in the Prison saga. Recently there was an update on the Engage Montco site that announced a public meeting on Thursday, January 22, 2026 from 5pm to 6pm. This meeting will be to present and discuss the Cleanup Grant and the Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives. They are asking for input from the public. This is the grant from the EPA to address environmental issues associated with the site. They encourage anyone with interest in this project to attend. If you are unable to attend, the documents will be on the Engage site from 1/9/26 to 1/25/26

The accompanying document, prepare by Montrose Environmental is on the site if you scroll down to Phase 5. One point of concern is that in the section that talks about abatement of asbestos and lead paint they do talk about demolition of structures. It is very important to make sure they DO NOT demolish the front section of the structure, which is the defining castellated portion. If anything is to be saved, that would be it. There is also a good history of the adjoining structures built on the site showing their use and when they were built. In addition further in the document, they list the types of buildings that could have lent environmental hazard such as dry cleaning businesses. From an historical aspect these sections are not only interesting, but fundamental to the understanding of Norristown's business history. The rest of the document goes over the various requirements for removal of hazardous materials. The final chart shows an estimate of over $3 million for the removal of the materials for all of the phases (different sections of the entire structure).

With all this said, I urge you to attend the public meeting to hear what they are looking to do. Again, thanks for your support to Save the Prison. Hope to see you there.