West Reading Avenues Winter 2017 - 7

IN THE KNOW & ON THE GO //// new & improved

New & Improved on the Avenues
NEW ON THE AVENUE

Tower Health

West Reading Motor Club

The Reading Hospital and Medical Center in October officially
became part of Tower Health, a system that includes six
community hospitals in eastern Pennsylvania. With the
addition of Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville, Chestnut Hill
Hospital in Philadelphia, Jennersville Hospital in West Grove,
Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville and Pottstown Hospital
in Pottstown, Tower Health includes 11,000 employees
and 2,000 doctors practicing in 65 different locations.

Frank Cocuzza, the owner of acclaimed Say Cheese! Restaurant
& Cheese, and his son, Adam, announced they will open
a restaurant and nightspot in the former A to Z Vacuum
store at 416 Penn Ave. West Reading Borough Council in
September approved the transfer of a liquor license to the
location, which will be called West Reading Motor Club LLC.

Also in October, the former Reading Health System acquired
five for-profit hospitals from Tennessee-based Community
Health Systems. More information about the acquisition
was not available at press time. You can read much more
about Tower Health in an article starting on page 25.
Tower Health
420 S. Fifth Ave., West Reading
484-628-8000

The project calls for opening the first floor before the upper
levels. On the first floor will be a bar and restaurant, while the
second floor will hold a lounge. The third floor will be an area
for special events. A feature of the property is on-site parking.
The name of the location goes back to its first owner,
Jacob Naftzinger, who opened as a hardware store in
1913. The following year, he started selling Chevrolets
there and renamed the business West Reading Motor and
Hardware. An opening date has not been announced.
West Reading Motor Club
416 Penn Ave., West Reading

The Reading Symphony Orchestra
The Reading Symphony Orchestra (RSO) has a new executive
director. David Gross, who previously served as President
and CEO of the San Antonio Symphony, was named to the
position earlier this fall. In his role with the San Antonio
Symphony, Gross was responsible for artistic planning,
fundraising and marketing, among other things.
A former principal timpanist with both the Grand Rapids
Symphony and the Kansas City Philharmonic, Gross is
married to Reading native Deborah Dundore, a pianist
who has performed as a soloist with the RSO.

VF Outlet Center
Work is underway at Wyomissing's VF Outlet Center, which
was purchased last year for $3.5 million by Philadelphia-based
Equus Capital Partners and is being converted into a mixed-use
office and retail campus. Recently, tons of old-growth lumber
was removed from the Red Building, which will be demolished.
Some of the wood will be used in other VF buildings.

"There is a great tradition of support for the symphony
here, and I look forward to being part of that," Gross said. "I
am looking forward to supporting Music Director Andrew
Constantine's mission for the orchestra, and helping to create
new partnerships and collaborations in this great community."

Plans call for UGI Energy Services, Spring Township, to move
its headquarters to the VF complex's Blue Building, which
once housed the dyeing operations for Berkshire Knitting
Mills. UGI will anchor the building, which also will include
restaurants, shops and boutiques. VF Outlet headquarters
will move to the second floor of the Designer Place Building,
and a Wawa store with eight gas pumps will be built next
to McDonald's on Penn and Eighth avenues. Stay tuned!

Reading Symphony Orchestra
147 N. Fifth St. #2, Reading
610-373-7557

VF Outlet Center
801 Hill Ave. B117, Wyomissing
610-378-0408

lovewestreading.org

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http://www.lovewestreading.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of West Reading Avenues Winter 2017
