Surviving Small Business Ownership in Swarthmore
Shannon Elliott with her family in front of Harvey Oak Mercantile (H.O.M.) in Swarthmore. Photo courtesy of Shannon Elliott.
There is a new kind of small business worry in Swarthmore. It is one that I never thought I would fear—the loss of beloved businesses due to new development. I am sharing my story to keep all of our community informed on the latest from our business district.
Recently, I have been reflecting on what motivated me to want to own a shop in our town. After unexpectedly leaving a job in 2017 that I held for a very long time in corporate retail, I had a blank slate in front of me regarding what to do next. Continuing my corporate retail career would have likely taken my family and I out of the area and we wanted to stay in Swarthmore. I also know that I longed for more “purpose” and connection to the community in my next venture.
I remember volunteering at the Swarthmore Farmers Market and meeting so many wonderful artists who would come and showcase their amazing handmade work, and then pack it up and leave it in boxes until the next event. I thought it would be amazing to have a place in town where there was access to their products more regularly. This is what sparked my desire and led me to take over H.O.M. in early 2018.
H.O.M. is home to over 100 artisans, makers, and small businesses sourced from around the globe, including many makers right here in the 19081 area. It is a labor of love and one that I hoped to continue for at least the next few years or so, while my children (aged 12 and 10) still desired to have me accessible to them each day.
Adding more categories and makers really helped solidify H.O.M. as a must see and shop boutique in town. The shop even received kudos from Philadelphia Magazine receiving the honor of Best of Philly for our jewelry selection, most of which is made in the local area.
Everything seemed to be on the right track and momentum was on our side and then... the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown caused a huge bump in the road. Instead of closing for good, I launched a website and clocked numerous miles on my car safely delivering to my customers’ doorsteps while we were shut down. H.O.M. survived the pandemic! From Small Business Saturday 2020 through this summer, our sales were back on track and trending above pre-pandemic sales figures. The plan for the rest of 2021 would be to stay cautiously optimistic and start to build stability to continue the mission of the shop and serving the people of Swarthmore and beyond.
What happened next took me a bit by surprise. As a former Swarthmore Town Center Board Member, and general supporter of improvements in our town, I have typically been pro change. I was pro building the Inn, the roundabout, and getting the Biddle tract deed restriction lifted so that the Co-op could allow beer and wine sales and Village Vine could open their doors. I participated in numerous town clean up and beautification days, and have pushed my landlord and myself to keep my business’ exterior looking great. I am always excited for change, but this next change was quite overwhelming for me. I am typically a careful planner, but I did not have the sale of my building on my radar when my neighbor building 110/112 Park Avenue was sold. The word passed down was that luxury condos with ample parking would replace the building that was currently home to a wellness center, architects, therapists, medical professionals, and the Chester Children’s Chorus.
Soon after, rumors started to be shared that 102/104 Park Avenue, the Celia Building owned by Swarthmoreans Rick and Lee Greenwood and home to H.O.M. and Gallery on Park, would also be sold and knocked down and converted to condos. I did not discuss these rumors with the Greenwoods at the time since I was told by another resident of the building that Lee Greenwood would soon be moving into one of the apartments in the building. I knew the building was their “retirement plan” and that they consistently turned down offers to buy it. My lesson learned is that everything is for sale for a price. About two weeks ago, our property manager confirmed that on August 1st, the Greenwoods entered into a sale agreement with Springfield-based and Swarthmore-owned, W.S. Cumby + Associates. We are all no stranger to Bill Cumby’s firms fine work since they built the Inn at Swarthmore, now the cornerstone building of our town. Bill graciously agreed to meetings with the business owners and residents. He noted that his plans for the Celia Building were not 100% confirmed, but regardless of whether it would be torn down or renovated, all of its current residents would need to leave in the first half of 2022. An estimated timeline is set to start construction is June 2022, and it will take approximately 15-18 months to build the condos. Retail spaces will be included in the new building, but they will be offered for sale vs. lease and rates are expected to be premium.
With the news sinking in that H.O.M. and neighbor shop, Gallery on Park, would need a new home, research began on what options existed here in town. While we often have the impression that there are multiple open storefronts, the ownership change that occurred in the last year for multiple properties from Pastuszek Real Estate to Jason Kilpatrick has resulted in most spaces being occupied. We are waiting for messages to be returned by Pastuszek so we can inquire about the vacant former Head Nut space. Martha and I have made outreach to most of the other tenants in town just in case anyone has a lead or plans to move. Details on the Bryn Mawr Trust building will not be available until their merger is final, so we need to wait and see if that is an option. The team at Swarthmore Hair Studio is still on hiatus due to COVID, but we plan to stay close in case they plan to lease their space.
The bottom line is… we do not want to leave Swarthmore. We have researched other towns including Media and West Chester to educate ourselves on options. The rent difference is not feasible based on our current revenue, and, we want to be here, working in the community where we live and call home.
Martha Perkins and I are very proud of the work we have done. We bring the arts to Swarthmore in unique ways and we have 1,000’s of customers who appreciate what we do. Our next steps are unclear, but we hope that in the short term, you continue to shop with us and support our businesses. The healthier our businesses are, the more options we can consider when looking into new options. Our hearts are breaking, yet full of excitement at the same time knowing that we have so much support and love from this town that will push us to keep going. We do know that we will be open for the upcoming holiday gift giving season, and we plan to make it our best yet! So, keep your eyes and ears open, feel free to share ANY ideas with us, and #showlove #shoplocal!
Publishers’ note: Bill Cumby and Don Delson independently submitted a letter to the Swarthmorean describing their development plans in the Ville.
