Preliminary Plans for State Street Project Approved

The Newtown Borough Planning Commission on Monday gave preliminary approval to plans for a mixed-use building on South State Street that will be home to a renovated state wine and spirits store.

Developer Allan Smith, who owns the current state store property on Centre Avenue, is seeking to relocate the store to a building on South State Street.

The proposal includes a three-story building that would be constructed adjacent to the Sedia house at South State and Penn streets. The proposal would feature the state store on the ground level and residential units above.

Since a zoning variance is needed for the project, the plans will go before the Zoning Hearing Board later this month. That meeting will be held Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Newtown Sewer Authority Building, 15 S. Congress Street.

The proposal will also go before Newtown Borough Council for review. A date for that review has not yet been scheduled.

According to officials, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, which leases the space from Smith, is pushing to update its stores so they are larger and more customer-friendly.  

Smith said a lease has been signed for the new State Store and has been submitted to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.