Borough officials said construction could commence soon

        The prospect of a much-needed change to a busy intersection and several unoccupied buildings in a section of Quakertown had borough council members optimistic at their Oct. 2 meeting.

        Quakertown Borough Council voted unanimously to accept a proposal from Moreland Development LLC to begin construction of a Walgreens store at the corner of Routes 309 and 313.

        The location is home to a former billiard hall, Sleepy’s mattress store and MAB paint store. Since 2010, Moreland Development has been interested in the property and has been working diligently with PennDOT.

        Council’s approval brings the developer one step closer; however, final approval is still required from PennDOT.

        Prior to construction there will be a demolition of the vacant billiard hall portion of the building with the total area of the new Walgreens set to be 14,820 sq. ft.

        There are plans to do detailed work on Route 309 by adding a right northbound turning lane for easier access to the location and to Route 313. Sidewalks will also be constructed to connect to neighboring businesses. There will also be additional trees and shrubs added to the property for aesthetic purposes.

         “As far as a timeline, the borough is ready. We just need the final OK from PennDOT. We anticipate a fast response from them,” Borough Manager Scott McElree stated.

        In other news, Councilman Dan Williams announced a Halloween event in Memorial Park scheduled for Friday, Oct. 18, as well as Saturday, Oct. 19.

        Each night will be filled with a preschool hayride from 7 to 8 p.m. and a haunted hayride (for older children and adults) from 8 to 10 p.m. The cost for preschool participants will be $5 for a one-time entry and $10 for a one-time entry to the haunted hayride.