During the August 7th meeting of Conshohocken’s borough council, an updated plan to reimagine West 2nd Avenue between Fayette and Forrest streets, which has partially served as a memorial to veterans since 1928, was presented. You can watch the presentation here (cue to 1:21:56).

Ray Sokolowski, the borough’s executive director of operations, outlined the new proposed plan for the space. According to Sokolowski, the update includes tiered amphitheater seating, a covered performance stage, an accessible overlook, and landscaping. One lane of roadway will remain, which will be used as a drop-off to the accessible area. The rendering above shows the area looking up West 2nd Avenue from Fayette Street.

Sokolowski was asked how the space will continue to incorporate the memorial and the statue titled The Family, which was added to the memorial in 1999. Sokolowski shared that the memorial and statue are currently stored by the borough and will be returned. Their exact placement has not yet been determined.

Sokolowski pointed to the desire of some of the local businesses to have more outdoor activities and the amphitheater will provide the appropriate space without having to close the street. He also discussed the declining state of the roadway and the infrastructure of the memorial (not the memorial itself) that needed to be. The rendering directly above shows the space looking down Forrest Street.

Sokolowski estimated that the project would cost $2 million and likely be completed in 2026. Borough Manager Stephanie Cecco stated that the project would be considered by the borough council during the budgeting process later in 2024.

A little history…

The image to the left shows a ceremony to dedicate the memorial on West 2nd Avenue on Armistice Day in 1928.

The photo was likely taken from the second or third floor of what is now The Great American Pub. Note that the photo appears to be flipped due to the reversed location of the white home at the top of the hill. The white home and building with a triangle roof still stand today.

Renderings: Borough of Conshohocken

Photo: Courtesy of the Special Collections Research Center. Temple University Libraries. Philadelphia, PA. You can view the collection here.