SAINT CLAIR - Coal Creek Commerce Center is seeking to connect Mill Street in the borough to Terry Rich Boulevard because an eatery may be built in the shopping center by the end of the year.
Representatives of Coal Creek - attorney Gretchen Coles Sterns, Pottsville, Terrance Ryan, president of R&R Property Managers Inc., Gilberton, and Alfred Ty Leinneweber, project manager from Lehigh Engineering LLC, Pottsville - addressed the borough council during its meeting Tuesday night.
"We had some interest from a fast food restaurant about locating within the Coal Creek Commerce plaza," Sterns said. "We're still in negotiations with them, but discussing how we could have a feasible site is critical to our negotiations."
The representatives can't name the possible tenant but "hope to be able to say (who it is) by the next month."
Sterns said that in planning, they realized there would be several issues with how the restaurant would fit in to the overall development of Coal Creek.
The new restaurant would be directly across from the entrance to the "restaurant row" side of Terry Rich Boulevard, but behind the future Aspen Dental, closer to Route 61. It may have a drive-thru.
Coal Creek wants to connect Terry Rich Boulevard to Mill Street, which is currently blocked off, so there would be another way to access the commerce center.
The borough would abandon part of Mill Street and the road would be straightened to run parallel to the site.
The council members said that while people walk that way now, even with it closed, it would want some sort of walkway for pedestrians.
"I would not open it until we get it upgraded with sidewalks," councilman John Burke said.
Leinneweber suggested an asphalt walkway, but there are no definite plans at this time.
Sterns told the borough council that she brought it up at the meeting Tuesday night to get input and wants to meet with its planning commission by the end of the month, complete a preliminary plan submission in April, seek the approval process in early spring and summer and start construction in fall.
"Our potential client is very anxious to locate to this area and ideally would like be in before the end of the year," Sterns said.