PHILADELPHIA-CAMDEN-WILMINGTON-ATLANTIC CITY-READING | Metro Development Thread

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

There is now a 200' tower crane at the One Ardmore Site! Will grab picks tomorrow

Beautiful! Love seeing tower cranes all over the metro outside of Philadelphia.

There is one in Wilmington currently, one in Bryn Mawr, now in Ardmore. Should see one or two in Camden soon. Should see one or two in Conshohocken soon as well.

[Urbanthusiat]

New Multifamily Building Near King Of Prussia Town Center Moves Forward

The Village at Valley Forge, the 122-acre mixed-use community centered on the King of Prussia Town Center, is getting another multifamily development.

South Carolina-based Woodfield Investments has obtained equity financing for a 320-unit, Class-A apartment building to be called Woodfield Valley Forge. Woodfield closed on $31.3M of equity financing from an unnamed global investment company, brokered by Phillips Realty Capital. Combined with a commercial bank loan and a construction loan that closed in July, the project is now fully funded.

Woodfield Valley Forge will contain a 495-space parking garage, a pool, a fitness center, a pet spa, a flex work area and a sky lounge as part of its amenities package. No groundbreaking date has been set, but Woodfield estimates the first delivery of units in fall 2018, with the hope to stabilize by fall 2019.

The apartment building will join existing and under-construction multifamily projects in the Village at Valley Forge such as Indigo 301 and senior living community Canvas, both developed by The Bozzuto Group, and Ave. at King of Prussia, a combination development of short- and long-term apartments from Korman Communities.

Along with a branch of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and several available parcels, these apartment communities are all hoping to build on the momentum generated by the dining and retail at King of Prussia Town Center.

From: https://www.bisnow.com/philadelphia/...tifamily-77780

More renderings and info on the developer's site: http://www.housingstudio.com/Project...b-af0fafa826ea

[summersm343]

Living in luxury: New wing at KoP Mall a hit

Read more here:
http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...html?mobi=true

[summersm343]

Bala Cynwyd's dying main street: Will $100 million in mixed-use development save it?

Read more here:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pe...html?mobi=true

[Justin7]

I kind of liked this little stretch when the theatre was active. Something about the way the street curves. Quaint in a good way. Really hope to see it renovated and reopened.

[summersm343]

Sunoco to dismiss 94 employees in Newtown Square

Read more here:
http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...-20170821.html

[summersm343]

Inside King of Prussia’s $1 billion transformation



Read more here:
https://philly.curbed.com/2017/8/22/...velopment-boom

[Urbanthusiat]

Hotel proposed for downtown Kennett Square

An upscale hotel designed to match the historic character of Kennett Square has been proposed for the 100 block of South Broad Street.

Preliminary details about the project were unveiled at the Aug. 7 meeting of Kennett Square Borough Council.

The Kennett Realty Group is looking to construct the new hotel with approximately 100 to 110 rooms at the intersection of Broad and Cypress streets. The hotel would include a small restaurant that would serve quick foods for guests, meeting room spaces, and most likely two levels of parking that would occupy the lowest levels of the building.

http://www.chestercounty.com/2017/08...kennett-square

[summersm343]

State throws Cheyney University $30 million lifeline

Read more here:
http://www.philly.com/philly/educati...-20170822.html

[Urbanthusiat]

In Exton area, an explosion of building activity

Call it the development of Exton, 2.0.

The area is undergoing renewed interest with development that has the township buzzing with new projects.

From a supermarket - a Whole Foods, which the township has been told will open in January - to a post-operation rehabilitation facility, with plenty of housing in between, the Exton area is a hot spot for building again with more than 20 projects in the ground or on the drawing board.

More here: http://www.dailylocal.com/article/DL...NESS/170829991

[domodeez]

From 8/22:







^ the last wall piece getting dropped into place on the top floor of building 1







^ looks like the bedroom interiors on the conversion next door are moving along nicely

[jonesrmj]

My friend who works in one of the Chase Buildings near the riverfront took this picture from the 18th floor! You can see the Capano Apartments project rising up if you look closely!

[IMG]Wilmington Riverfront by jonesrmj, on Flickr[/IMG]

[domodeez]

Looking west along 10th Street, taken from near the Rodney Square intersection.


$175M transformation planned for DuPont Building
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/...ing/100376204/

The Buccini/Pollin Group is charging ahead with a $175 million transformation of downtown Wilmington's DuPont Building in one of the city's most ambitious redevelopment projects in decades.

Over the next three to four years, the property – comprised of the Hotel du Pont, Playhouse on Rodney Square and a 13-story office building – will be converted into a mixed-use complex that includes apartments and 40,000 square feet of retail space combined with a food hall.

Most of the renovations will be made to the office portion of the building; the venerable hotel will undergo largely cosmetic changes, such as new carpets and room upgrades.

"To me, this is one of the most important projects in our city because that building has been one of our most powerful symbols," said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. "To see it come back like this gives us a sense of optimism that it will turn the tide of confidence in the city."

...

The project's most dramatic revitalization will occur in the office building at 1007 N. Market St. BPG will completely gut the space, dividing it between offices and market-rate apartments. Chemical company Chemours will lease 256,000-square-feet of space on floors four through 13. The company reportedly signed a 17-year lease for the space.

That leaves about 60,000 square feet of vacant space that could support one to four tenants, according to Chris Buccini, co-president of BPG.

...

The project's second phase will modernize the building's first floor along 10th street, adding 40,000 square feet of retail space. Buccini said it was too early to list potential tenants, but about 10,000 square feet of that space at the corner 10th and Orange streets will be occupied by a food hall, one of the hottest trends in urban dining.

A food hall is similar to a food court, but instead of traditional chain restaurants, it involves local chefs showcasing their dishes – typically healthier eating options. Food halls have sprung up in major downtown markets such as Los Angeles, New York, Detroit and Pittsburgh over the past year. A study by real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield found 96 major food hall projects totaling over 2.4 million square feet of space were under construction by the end of last year's third quarter.

...


Buccini said the DuPont Building's food hall will have about eight different stands offering breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"The food hall takes smaller, independent and maybe even start-up food providers and gives them a facility where they don't have to build a restaurant," Hare said. "It's meant to inspire a sense of entrepreneurship in the city."

An M&T Bank Branch at 10th and Market streets will remain and a restaurant separate from the food court is expected to be added as part of the ground floor.

Once the ground floor retail and office renovations are completed, BPG will transform the unused office space into 180 apartments. The project will essentially divide the building in half with Chemours occupying the side on Market Street facing Rodney Square. The apartments will overlook Orange Street.

"One of the things that really works here is that every single street has a different, but very elaborate lobby," said Buccini. "The ground floor retail would be the unifier among the space. It lays out incredibly well."

The residential component is still in the preliminary stages. It is not known if it will include one-, two-, or three-bedroom units. Hare said the units' rental rates will be on par with BPG's other downtown Wilmington apartment properties, about $2 per square foot. Hare said the residential portion will include amenities such as a health club.

Another component of the project will include increasing the number of shows at The Playhouse at Rodney Square, a 1,200-seat Broadway-style theater attached to the office building.

Buccini said BPG is working with the theater manager, the Grand Opera House, to offer more events.

...

By the time the renovations are completed, the DuPont Building might even have a different name. BPG is studying the possibility of rebranding the property to reflect the changes. Any name change will not impact the Hotel du Pont, Buccini said.

Although the hotel will remain largely unchanged, Hare said he hopes the project will restore its glory days as the center of social activity in Delaware's largest city.

[summersm343]

Bala Cynwyd embarks on $100M master plan on historic corridor

With boarded up shops and vacant spaces lining the corridor, it’s safe to say that it’s been decades since anyone has enjoyed a stroll down Bala Avenue in Bala Cywnyd.

In its defense, the Bala Avenue is relatively short, spanning just three blocks between. And yet, in its heyday, it was a bustling retail corridor with an architecturally stunning theater at its core.

Today, it’s mostly frequented by speeding cars looking to bypass traffic along Montgomery Avenue and City Avenue.

“It’s beautiful fundamentally, but there aren’t many reasons to take time to walk along it at the moment,” says Bobby Fijan, a partner at Cross Properties. “We’re hoping to change that.”

For the past year or so, local developer Cross Properties has been quietly acquiring more than a dozen parcels up and down Bala Avenue. Just this week it announced its $100 million master plan to bring some life back to the street with three major mixed-use developments in the works.

“This is a revitalization of a shopping area that was meant to be there,” Fijan says. “We’re revitalizing something that was there to begin with.”

The first phase of revitalization efforts has been underway since this past spring, with Cross Properties focusing on construction of the mixed-use development 10 Union.

This 109-unit, four-story development is being built from the ground up and will be the first of three major mixed-use projects proposed for what the developer is calling the “NoBa” district. If the developer gets zoning approval, two more mixed-use projects will follow, including 202 Bala and 1 Cynwyd. The first phase is expected to bring a total of 240 units and 20,000 square feet of retail to the neighborhood.

That’s a lot of residential for an already established and well-off town, where the median income is $113,462. But Fijan says given that Bala Cynwyd is the closest suburb to Philly—the Bala station is the first stop on the Cynwyd SEPTA rail line—there’s a market for a wide-range of demographics who won’t to be close to Philly, but perhaps live in an area that offers a small-town feel.

He points to towns even farther from Philly that have found success with similar mixed-use redevelopments with walkability at their core. “There’s vitality in places like downtown West Chester, Phoenixville, and Wayne,” Fijan says. “We’re trying to create that on a smaller scale in the closest community that exists to Philadelphia.”

Read more here:
https://philly.curbed.com/2017/8/24/...se-development

[Urbanthusiat]

I'm excited for the long term future of City Avenue. I would like to see the area continue to density and become a modern edge city ala Tysons Corner. There's a lot of absorption capacity there and plenty of available space.

[Nova08]

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

I'm excited for the long term future of City Avenue. I would like to see the area continue to density and become a modern edge city ala Tysons Corner. There's a lot of absorption capacity there and plenty of available space.

It's a shame BMW of the Mainline opted to build a new building from the ground up. It's an incredible small plot of land for a car dealership. There is also an adjacent ~4 story parking garage. I cannot figure out if it is a public garage or owned by the dealership.

[Larry King]

I can't believe lower merion ok'ed all of those new apartments, usually they fight development over there.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

I'm excited for the long term future of City Avenue. I would like to see the area continue to density and become a modern edge city ala Tysons Corner. There's a lot of absorption capacity there and plenty of available space.

Agree 100%. I believe City Avenue has a good future. If the City and Lower Merion/Bala Cynwyd really focus in, there could be a nice corridor of mixed use development from I-76 to St. Joseph's Campus.

[domodeez]

Ground floor windows going in & lots of progress on the interior. Will try to get a shot soon.

[domodeez]

So insanely excited for this to open



Photo via Bike Delaware



Christina bike bridge to open unused pathways
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/...ways/91238856/

a 345-foot wooden bridge across the Christina River is set to break ground next month and when complete will be the "crown jewel" of Delaware's non-motorized trails, unleashing a flood of bicycle commuters into Wilmington, say transportation officials.

"There could be times when congestion on I-95 is so bad that someone could get from New Castle to the Wilmington Riverfront faster on a bike," said Jeff Niezgoda, a planning supervisor for the state Department of Transportation.

The $18.5 million project includes the arched crossing just east of I-95, a smaller bridge across Little Mill Creek leading to the Wilmington Riverfront and 2,300-foot boardwalk across marshland to link the two. To the south, it will connect with a 1.4-mile path opened in 2014, which leads to another trail system that stretches to Old New Castle.

The bridge is the last link of a system that has been built gradually and creates a nearly uninterrupted pathway between Wilmington and New Castle.

^ I'll be able to bike (or go for a very long run) from Wilmington Riverfront to old historic New Castle / Battery Park as soon as next year. That's f****** amazing.