Philadelphia office park receives new name, image.

Byline: Henry J. Holcomb

Jan. 25--The big red sign atop the old Lee Tire factory, the suburban landmark that was a symbol of Conshohocken's past industrial might, was taken down yesterday.

The 95-year-old plant was converted to office use in the 1980s, and since then the sign had read, "Lee Park" instead of "Lee Tire."

Now, after a $10 million overhaul, it is being renamed "Spring Mill Corporate Center" and given a new image by its owner, Michael O'Neill's Preferred Real Estate Investments Inc. of Conshohocken.

Many motorists still refer to the bend in the Schuylkill Expressway across the river from the building as "Lee Tire Curve," a name long used in radio traffic alerts. O'Neill sought to take advantage of that name recognition for a time.

But his initial Lee Park renovation left it with a reputation for having too few parking places and too many puddles on the grounds. O'Neill and his brother, Brian, bought the site in 1987. It was their first major project, and both have gone on separately to become leading recyclers of old industrial properties.

"There are things you learn from owning long-term," Michael O'Neill said yesterday. "We've added new drainage, and relandscaped the entrances ... we've added new systems, we've redeveloped the lobbies and shared conference areas, and added a new restaurant."