Plan in works for former Wilson’s Hardware building

A key building in downtown Lansdale could have a new future soon.

Borough officials heard a sneak preview last week of an upcoming hearing for Wilson’s Hardware, a Main Street storefront that’s been vacant three years.

“The owner of 217 West Main Street submitted a conditional use application, which would be a hearing in front of borough council in November,” said Code Director Rick Lesniak.

“This is the old hardware store — the new owner proposes to do an event space, with commercial kitchens, and five residential apartments on the second and third floors above,” he said.

According to Montgomery County property records, the owner is listed as Panicorp Properties LLC, who purchased the property for $512,000. 

Back in 2022 Wilson’s Hardware closed its doors at 217 West Main, which had been a business site for Charles and Toni Venezia since 2015, Joe and Chris Flyzik since 1987, and Bill Wilson prior since 1972, according to county property records and MediaNews Group archives.

The west side of the building was originally Kindig’s Store, then expanded by Jake Geller as Geller’s Grand Emporium in the 1880s, according to research by the Lansdale Historical Society, and after Geller died in 1916, was operated as Spier’s Hardware into the 1930s, then Drissel’s Hardware from 1936 until 1964, when purchased by Bill Wilson.

The building itself was included on LHS’s historic walking tour of the town in 2009, a calendar of borough landmarks offered in 2012 and the LHS “Saving Historic Lansdale” lecture series in 2013, and Wilson’s was also among the first recipients of the borough’s Business of the Month award in 2013.

“Because there will be an official hearing in the future, we can’t deliberate here, or get into many of the details,” Lesniak told council’s code committee on Oct. 1.

“We just want you to be aware that the application was submitted, and these uses are allowed under the downtown core overlay district, as a conditional use — with approval from a conditional use hearing,” he said.

    A customer makes a purchase at Wilson’s Hardware in Lansdale as clearance sale labels are posted throughout the store shortly ahead of its closing in Feb. 2022.
 By Dan Sokil | The Reporter   

    “Retirement” and “Sale” signs were posted throughout Wilson’s Hardware in Lansdale shortly ahead of its closing in Feb. 2022.
 By Dan Sokil | The Reporter   

After that conditional use hearing, any plans would then be vetted by the town’s planning commission and/or zoning hearing board and code committee if needed, Lesniak said, and specifics on the ownership of the building will likely also be part of that presentation.        

Lansdale’s borough council next meets at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15 and Nov. 19 and the code enforcement committee next meets at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 5, all at the borough municipal building, 1 Vine Street. For more information visit www.Lansdale.org.

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