Vote tabled on Cricket Avenue demolition

ARDMORE >> If Lower Merion is going to roll the dice on demolition of two buildings in Ardmores historic business district, it wants to hedge its bet.

Although the votes were clearly there Wednesday night to support the recommendation of their historical architectural review board to permit a tear-down, commissioners tabled action on issuing a certificate of appropriateness until March 4.

By then, they want to see a terms sheet for the lease the owners of two late 19th-century buildings at 47 and 53-55 Cricket Ave. say they are willing to enter into for the resulting space to be used as temporary parking during construction of Dranoff Properties One Ardmore Place project on the municipal Cricket Avenue Parking Lot.

Their hesitation was somewhat similar to HARBs initial qualms when a formal application for demolition was first before it earlier this month.

The advisory board ultimately made the recommendation with several conditions, including negotiation of a lease with either the township or downtown business authority, The Ardmore Initiative, to extend the use for public parking until owners Brad Paul and Louis Barson are ready to begin redevelopment of the new gap in the Cricket Avenue streetscape.

In deferring action, commissioners said they wanted to divide the issues. A decision on demolition of 47 Cricket, a part of the former Gillanes Tavern complex (now 43 Cricket Bar and Restaurant), and 53-55, the former Cardones Printing building, should be based on the reasons justifying the loss of the two Class 1 historic resources, they said. A lease of the space should be a separate matter.

At the same time, most shared HARBs concern that the space not sit empty indefinitely, or end up a private parking lot.

Members of HARB who spoke at the meeting said it was an anguishing decision to recommend removal of Class 1 properties. In Lower Merions two-tiered historic preservation designation, Class 1 properties may only be demolished by permission of the board of commissioners.

Philip Franks said, however, that there are significant hurdles to renovation of the structures for reuse. In meeting with HARB, Paul and a new development partner, Pete Staz, who owns and has renovated the neighboring pucciManuli/Viking Pastries building, showed a sketch for a three-story, multi-use building that could eventually fill the gap.

We know were taking a gamble. . . . Were rolling the dice, Franks said, but HARB is looking for the new development to be a modern building, a mixed-use building, something that is going to help infuse more energy into the historic district. Continued...

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Vote tabled on Cricket Avenue demolition