A sweeping effort to reshape the heart of Gladwyne is moving forward, writes Denali Sagner for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Still, a community petition and questions about neighborhood character are shaping a contentious public debate over the village’s future.
A Billionaire and a Design Firm With Local Roots
Billionaire Jeff Yass, founder of Susquehanna International Group, and his wife, Janine, are working with design firm Haldon House on Gladwyne Square. The proposed revitalization centers around Youngs Ford and Righters Mill roads.
The group has spent more than $15 million acquiring several prominent properties, including the former Gladwyne Market building for $5 million. It also purchased the Village Shoppes and the post office property. It has also leased the former OMG Salon at 351 Righters Mill Road.
Haldon House is led by Andre Golsorkhi, a Gladwyne native and serial entrepreneur, and his wife, Autumn Oser.
The pair left their careers to launch Haldon House, a bespoke residential design and development firm, before taking on the Gladwyne Square project at the Yass family’s invitation.
What the Revised Plan Includes
Plans call for a mix of renovated buildings, new commercial spaces, restaurants, boutique businesses, and public green areas. A revised proposal presented to the Gladwyne Civic Association in May scaled back earlier concepts following extensive community feedback.
The updated plan includes relocating Gladwyne Pharmacy into the former Gladwyne Market building and opening a restaurant in the former OMG Salon space.
It also adds a new barn-style building to house an expanded Homeroom cafe, and a public green space with a gazebo, native plantings, and a small amphitheater.
Township Has a Role, but Much Is Already Permitted
The developers have framed the effort as a philanthropic community project with no outside financing. It’s intended to revive the village center while preserving Gladwyne’s historic, small-scale character.
Lower Merion Township’s director of building and planning, Chris Leswing, has said that much of the plan is permitted by right under the area’s neighborhood center zoning designation. Still, he noted that some elements will require review board approval and a vote by the board of commissioners.
A Petition and a Push for Community Control
Not everyone is convinced. A community petition has circulated challenging the concentration of ownership. It argues that no single family, regardless of wealth, should unilaterally control the civic and commercial core of a historic Pennsylvania community.
Traffic, Pedestrian Access, and the Green
Architect Ed Lewis is a 60-year resident of Gladwyne and helped found the community’s historic district. He said the new plan must address the core practical challenges from the outset.
“You have to have the basics solved at the beginning: traffic, pedestrian access, and the green, existing trees, and reinforced with new vegetation,” Lewis said.
Those concerns are likely to remain central as the proposal advances through the township approval process.
For residents, the debate is not simply about whether Gladwyne needs new shops or gathering spaces.
It is about whether the village can become more active and welcoming without losing the landscape, architecture, and understated character that have long defined the community.
To learn about the latest updates to the Gladwyne Square plan, visit The Philadelphia Inquirer.
