The ambitious “The Hub” project at the former Neil A. Armstrong Middle School site in Bensalem has hit a major obstacle, writes JD Mullane for the Bucks County Courier Times.
Scheduled for a sheriff’s sale on August 9, this development was intended to transform the area into a bustling retail and residential complex.
Owner Jignesh “Jay” Pandya, also the owner of Boston Market, filed for bankruptcy on June 13. Pandya’s plan included relocating Boston Market’s headquarters to “The Hub” at 2201 Street Road, but financial troubles derailed these plans.
The 35-acre property, valued at $20 million, remains in limbo. A source familiar with the bankruptcy hinted that the sheriff’s sale might be postponed until a private buyer emerges.
The middle school, once Bensalem High School, has been largely unused since 2011 and was sold to Pandya’s LLC in 2020 for $7.3 million.
Despite initial approval from the township council in November 2021, local opposition and bankruptcy have stalled the mixed-use development.
For now, the future of “The Hub” remains uncertain as the search for a new buyer continues.
Read more about the future for “The Hub” in the Bucks County Courier Times.
An aerial goodbye to the Neil A. Armstrong middle school in Bensalem, Pa.
