Ambler Expansion News

  • We have a lease! Aldi Corp., which owns the building, has signed. We’re well along on the lease extensions with the owners of the land the building sits on, which, yes, is a separate process. 
  • We have a builder! W.S. Cumby won the work to be our new general contractor, submitting the low bid among four very-well-qualified contenders. Cumby, based in Delaware County, has plenty of experience in working on projects where sustainability is a priority. Here’s their website: www.cumby.com. Cumby came recommended by our designers at Strada LLC, who probably haven’t gotten enough attention in these reports. Here’s their website: www.stradallc.com.
  • Our lenders love us! Financing has been secured from PNC Bank and the Reinvestment Fund — not forgetting our devoted member loan participants, of course.
  • Ambler Food Co-op members are now officially Weavers Way members! And are being annoyed — OK, maybe not annoyed — by the same deluge of emails as the rest of us. 
  • We have a store manager! Kathryn Worley, who many of you remember as the Appalachian-inflected grocery manager and woman-of-all-trades at the Mt. Airy store, will be in charge in Ambler. Wondering where she’s been? For the last few months, Creekside Co-op in Elkins Park was “borrowing” Kathryn as interim general manager. She’ll be back sometime this month. Be sure to say hey. 
  • We have high hopes! Cumby says the building renovation is a four-month job. If they get started at the beginning of May, as planned, well, you do the math — we could be open before Labor Day. Stay tuned.