Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Construction of complex set to begin
Council gave a green light to a $10 million project in the southwest section of Kennett Township.
KENNETT SQUARE >> Council Tuesday night gave a green light to a $10 million project in the southwest section of the town that will bring scores of jobs and will increase the tax base both in the borough and in Kennett Township.
The 5.2-acre property at the corner of South Mill Road and Cypress Street being is developed by Cannery Row Properties, LTD, and has 1.3 acres in the borough and 3.9 acres in Kennett Township. Ground could be broken in the coming weeks after site construction plans are signed and recorded.
“We are in the homestretch now,” said Michael Pia Jr., manager for Cannery Row Properties. “We are hoping to get this buttoned up as soon as possible. This is another great addition to Kennett and it will give the borough and the township a well-deserved tax bump in terms of increased revenue.”
When completed, the property will be home to 11,000 square feet of retail space, 6,700 square feet for office space, and a restaurant that will occupy 3,000 square feet of space. It will also include 13 luxury two-story apartments, a dog park and a walking trail and a large open space area available to the public.
The property includes four buildings, 30 percent of which will be residential. One of the buildings will be a single-story retail building, another a single-story restaurant, another a three-story building with the first floor retail and the top two floors apartments and the fourth building, a small, 800-square-foot building on a large open green space that could be
home to an ice cream shop or a small cafe.
There will be 127 parking spaces. According to a traffic study conducted in April, construction of the complex will add 49 new vehicle trips per hour during the morning rush, and 48 new vehicle trips per hour during the evening rush.
The site, directly across the street from Victory Brewing Co., will be surrounded with attractive bushes and shrubbery. It will also provide for overflow parking for customers of Victory Brewing Co.
Pia said the identity of the stores that will be leasing will be identified in the next two weeks.
“We received a lot of interest,” Pia siad. “We created spaces larger than what Main Street can accommodate intentionally so as to not detract from them. We are looking at neighborhood accessory uses to complement what we have going on at Magnolia Place.”
Pia estimated the project will take an entire year to build.
Council also approved five waivers related to the development that were endorsed by the borough’s Planning Commission. Council will be able to attach conditions to the waivers later.
The site was a former Mushroom Cannery. Pia said environmental testing has been completed to ensure no environmental hazards exist there.
The project was facilitated through the inter-municipal agreement of Kennett Township and Kennett Square. The agreement is valid for zoning issues only and allows the developer to have reasonable use of the property without having to go through expensive and time-consuming variance hearings in both municipalities. Both lots are deed restricted.
The project is the latest in a trend of development in a borough that encompasses just one square mile, but has become a destination spot because of the many festivals throughout the year. Earlier, Magnolia Place, a mix of luxury townhouses and luxury apartments above Victory Brewing Co., was built. And StanAb Real Estate Co. is planning construction of 175 luxury apartments and a pub restaurant in the 600 block of State Street.
Anyone interested in leasing retail or office space at the new Kennett Square complex, contact Zommick McMahon agents: Jim Pinckney: 610-453-2569 or Tess Scott: 610-401-3453.