News: Changes rumored for Maple Glen shopping center

When the Maple Glen Post Office disappeared more than two months ago, many Upper Dublin and Horsham township residents were frustrated by the inconvenience.

"The Maple Glen Post Office has been totally ripped away from us after 31 years," said Patricia Myer, a resident of Upper Dublin. "We here in this community now have nothing and the little post offices around us aren't open much past 2 o'clock. We have to drive miles to mail a letter."

Now the Safeway Corp., which owns the shopping center located at Welsh and Norristown roads, is rumored to be converting the center into a "Super Genuardi's." The center offers businesses such as a bank, dry cleaners, pharmacy, frame shop, barbershop, liquor store, pet store, Shape in 8 and Brew HaHa.

"That shopping center is a big part of the reason I stayed in Maple Glen when I was house shopping," Upper Dublin resident Sharon R. Gross Herman said. "The convenience of the stores cannot be replaced. I use the bank, pharmacy, Brew HaHa and Shape in 8 constantly. To find out that I will be losing these stores even down the line is devastating to me."

Although there has been no formal application filed in Upper Dublin Township, rumors that Safeway is looking to reinvest are founded, according to Township Manager Paul Leonard.

"What we are certain of is that they want to make a reinvestment," Leonard said. "What shape and scope that reinvestment takes is up in the air."

The Upper Dublin Board of Commissioners has met with Safeway Corp. two to three times over the past few years to discuss the possibility of redeveloping in the area, Leonard said.

The shopping center's stores are now on month-to-month leases, which is why the post office closed and the Wine and Spirits shop is relocating, according to Glen Center Pharmacy owner Greg Diehl. The pharmacy, which has a lease until 2010, is the only store locked in a long-term lease, said Diehl.

"I had a conversation with the property management guy about a year and a half ago," Diehl said. "He alluded to the point that my lease was not going to be renewed."

Diehl said he would like to renew his lease in 2010, but he doubts he will be allowed. Now he is looking to relocate.

"We're trying to secure another location now," Diehl said. "We have one viable location which we are trying to negotiate now that would be right across the street."

According to Diehl, the redevelopment expands past the property where the shopping center is located.

"They have a lot of different things going on," Diehl said. "They are trying to buy the residential houses in the back of the [shopping center] between Welsh and Limekiln, and I heard that they had actually purchased two properties."

Although Leonard said that he heard of Safeway contacting residents directly about buying their properties, the zoning papers have yet to be filed.

"There's definitely something going on," Leonard said. "[But] it's been remarkably low-key and slow from my perspective."

Safeway representatives refused to comment.