modification, and manufacturing of shipping and storage containers and modular building systems. “They’re renovating that building and moving their offices to Palmyra.That’s the first building in Palmyra when you enter from the north. It’s going to anchor our business district and will certainly help attract new development to our downtown area.” “We have another development project,” Gural continues. “The PNC Bank building – we ultimately took that property via eminent domain from an uncooperative former owner and worked with a local business person who is now building a new, hightech training fitness center (Outlaw Performance and Recovery) with a number of professional athletes from Philadelphia sports teams as clients. He’s a Palmyra guy (Geoffrey Wade) so we’re happy to keep it in the family, so to speak, but at the same time, you’re talking about injecting a huge amount into our local economy. And, again, it will help drive development in our downtown district. And it’s another positive sign that Palmyra is really the place to be if you want to operate a successful business.” HOUSING PROJECTS “We’re a small town,” Gural affirms.“And we’re 100% built out. There are a couple of lots, maybe, but not much in the way of an opportunity to build new homes, except in our Route 73 South Redevelopment Area. So, we designated it years ago as the location for the potential construction of affordable housing if it ever came to fruition. Well, it did. About 8 acres were carved off, situated by the Palmyra Cove Nature Park, with the most stunning views of downtown Philadelphia that you’ve ever seen. We’re working with Conifer Realty and building 102 affordable housing units. By affordable, I mean they’re subsidized but they cost quite a bit to build – about $330,000 apiece. So, they’re certainly on the higher end, as far as quality construction is concerned.They’ll be done in about a year and available for rent by the folks who will need those units.” Gural adds that the borough’s traditional singlefamily housing stock also needed a boost, so it sought funding in the form of Regional Contributions Photo Credit: Jennifer Carr Photography and Environmental Resolutions, Inc. Left: Chief Payton I. Flournoy, Sr., Memorial Park – Chief Flournoy was appointed Palmyra’s Police Chief in 1959 and was widely believed to be the nation’s first African-American Chief of Police; center: Palmyra Borough Hall; far right: Community Center 186 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 09 PALMYRA, NJ
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