Difficult economic times have interfered with plans to redevelop the Ardmore Train Station, according to Lower Merion Commissioner Steven Lindner, who told residents at the Ardwood Civic Association meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 7 that SEPTA pulled $10 million in capital fund assistance for the project from their 2011 budget.

"With the train station project, there is the good and there is the bad," Lindner said. "The good is there is something happening," the township has proposed an additional $100,000 from the capital funds budget for work on the project in 2011, "And the bad is that it keeps changing," Linder said.

The township secured a $9 million grant in August from Governor Rendell through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). That money, combined with $6 million in previous RACP grants, $5.8 million in federal grants and the $10 million recently rescinded from SEPTA would have made a sizeable dent in the estimated $35.65 million project.

Lindner remained optimistic that work will continue on the project despite the recent setback. "We were never going to have all the money sitting in the pot before we got started on the project," Lindner said. The commissioner, who also serves as the chairman of the Grants and Community Development Committee, said that design work, most of which has already been paid for by grants, will continue, and that SEPTA money may become available at some point in the future for actual construction.

"Even if they gave us the money, we weren't ready to spend it," Lindner said. The design phase is about 50 percent complete, according to the commissioner. "The bad part is you don't know if there will be more money down the pike. If they don't have it this year, they might not have it in the future."

With recent funding challenges, some residents are concerned about changes to the original redevelopment proposal. Dranoff Properties, the developer working with the township on the plans, proposed a new "mini-main street" between the station and the township building on Lancaster Avenue, with 125 apartment units, new retail and restaurants. The project also called for a parking garage, and raised train station platforms that are ADA-accessible and easier to use.

Commissioner Jane Dellheim responded to concerns about curtailing the mini-main street in a letter to the civic association – the commissioner is recovering from back surgery. "Rumors have been circulating that the mini-main street idea is being scaled back," Dellheim wrote. She said that Dranoff requested enough space on the street to maneuver tractor-trailer size trucks to deliver goods to a new loading dock in the area. Dellheim said plans have been altered to accommodate the request, but the township has made efforts to preserve the original intended use for the space.

Lindner concurred. "If we can't do the whole plan, we have to look at what makes sense," he said. "If the drive path is too small and we can't get our fire engines in, we have to decide if it becomes a walking path, or if we should pursue some other alternative."

Residents at the ArdWood Civic meeting wanted to know if they should expect anything at all from the project, which has been talked about for years.

"What I want to know is if we will have a better train station by the time my third grader finishes college," Regina Brown, an ArdWood Civic member said. Ardmore resident Wendy Young complained that the current station is not ADA-accessible on the outbound side, and said she avoids it entirely – choosing to walk to the Wynnewood Station instead.

Alex McDonnell, ArdWood Civic president, asked if the township might be better served by focusing its attention on other projects that might be more feasible to implement, at least in the short term.

"The train station and Ardmore redevelopment have been married together for years," McDonnell said. "Is there any way they can get divorced? Could you leave the train station and develop the Cricket lot for instance?"

Mariner Real Estate recently sold a lot on Cricket Terrace in Ardmore to Vesey Capital and Vedic Holdings for $1.3 million, according to Dellheim. No development plans have been filed with the township yet, although the area along Cricket Avenue has long been considered an area for potential development in Ardmore.

Lindner said that the township was committed to the transit center project, but also said that in the short term they might look at smaller projects to invest in, such as the ongoing Anderson Avenue underpass renovations.

"We will look at the small projects we can do," Lindner said. "I think it is going to be a very different look and feel in the township going forward, and all municipalities as they face these challenging times."

An open house and environmental assessment for the Ardmore Transit Center project are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 9 at the Township Administration Building. The open house will be held from 5-7 p.m. Project information will be on display, and staff members will be available to answer questions.

At 7 p.m., the township, in conjunction with SEPTA and the Federal Transit Administration, will present the findings of an environmental study assessing the impact of the proposed redevelopment.