New Sewer System Paves the Way for North Side Development

Sure, it’s not the most appealing way to spend a morning.

However, the three county commissioners, joined by Phoenixville council members and borough public works personnel, spent some time Friday huddled around a new sewer pump station.

The $554,380 project was completed on time and added capacity and a new pump station. In total, the project benefits 887 residents, created 15 temporary jobs and helped paint a brighter picture for the economic future of the north side of Phoenixville.

And you thought it was just a building and some pipes. In the past, the state Department of Environmental Protection restricted development on Phoenixville’s north side due to a lack in sewer capacity. This project added capacity so new development can occur.

Phoenixville has another minor bragging point. In the county, it was the only municipality to receive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act shovel-ready funds, as the project was good to go when the money became available, according to County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone. The project was federally funded and was an activity of the Chester County Department of Community Development.

Terence Ferrell, commissioners’ chairman, said the new infrastructure is “really a state of the art sanitary sewer system.” He also noted how the project ties into the commissioners’ goals.

During Cozzone’s comments, she commended the borough on its new energy and revitalization. Commissioner Ryan Costello noted the same, and said the changes go beyond downtown.

“Phoenixville for some is defined by what’s happening on Bridge Street,” Costello said. “But there’s a lot of progress off of Bridge Street.”

Costello said projects like the infrastructure improvements to the sanitary sewer system start with good leadership at the local level. Then, money must be funneled in, and the next step in the project will be private developers coming in and doing good projects, he explained.

Phoenixville has had support on the county level with funding. Since 2002, the borough has received $5.1 million in Chester County Department of Community Development Urban Center Funding, more than any other municipality in the county. That effort shows, according to Councilman James Evans (D-North), who commented at the ribbon cutting Friday.

In one and a half blocks of High Street, 14 burnt out, abandoned buildings stood a few years ago. While there is still blight, all of those buildings are gone or improved. Evans said infrastructure projects like the forced main system and new pump station will help further turn the north side of the borough around.

“This simply goes to further advance the economic welfare on the north side of Phoenixville,” Evans said.

Borough Manager Jean Krack asked the commissioners to continue to provide help and support to the borough.

“It’s imperative that this kind of funding continues to come through,” Krack said.

The project replaced 3,400 feet of sanitary sewer main put in back in 1939 with 12” PVC pipe along Paradise Street between Nutt Road and Bridge Street. In addition, 639 feet of new forced main line on Railroad, Dayton and High Streets and a new forced-main pump station on Railroad Street were added.