In July 2025, Montgomery County hired SALT Design Studio to lead the Norristown community and project stakeholders through a design process, which will result in a schematic master plan for a 4-acre, county-owned open space. The Lafayette Street Trail Gateway is envisioned to function as a linear park and gateway along a 1/2-mile-long section of the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) in Norristown. The project area covers a rectilinear area stretching east to west from Ford Street to the Trail Junction Center at DeKalb Street and sandwiched between Lafayette Street to the north and the SRT and SEPTA rail lines to the south. The intention of the envisioned gateway improvements is to:

• Increase awareness of and visibility to the trails
• Invite and welcome residents onto the trails and along them
• Improve safety for trail users through increased usage

Depending on community and stakeholder input, improvements may include:

• gateway and trailhead enhancements
• trail amenities and furnishings 
• wayfinding and welcoming signage that is multi-lingual
• public art projects such as trail surface art, vertical gateway elements, and a wall mural along a remaining section of the railroad viaduct wall
• open lawn areas that could be used for seasonal programming including summer games, movie nights, live concerts, and programming
• additional path- and access-ways to provide internal connections as well as connections to the SRT

The Montgomery County Planning Commission looks forward to the process and resulting vision for this county land!