A plan for a 64-townhome development called "Coolidge Commons," spread across 11 buildings along the north side of Wilson Street, has won preliminary approval from both the Upper Pottsgrove Township commissioners and Pottstown Borough Council. Because the project's primary access sits on Wilson Street within borough limits, developer's attorney Richard Almquist secured borough sign-off partly by agreeing to build a sidewalk along Wilson Street and to pave a secondary access route via Coolidge Street — currently an unimproved "paper street" — to accommodate the annual Soap Box Derby race and improve conditions for residents there. Borough Councilman Raymond Rose noted the town would absorb traffic impact without collecting property tax revenue, though Almquist countered that the development will use Pottstown's water and sewer services, generating revenue for the borough authority. Rose also acknowledged the long-vacant site "has been kind of an eyesore for many years." The project must now return to both municipalities' planning commissions for detailed engineering review, and secure approval from the Montgomery County Conservation District.
Source: Pottstown Mercury; 9/11/2026