Building proceeds at site of former mall
Mixed-use development taking shape where iconic mall stood
MIDDLETOWN » The name may be similar, but Promenade at Granite Run isn’t your grandmother’s mall.
The mixed-use development of shops, restaurants, entertainment, medical office building and apartments, augmented by the existing department stores and supermarket, is under construction, and in some cases complete, on the site of the former Granite Run Mall.
Doctors at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Primary Care are already seeing their young clients as the first tenant in the portion along Baltimore Pike, which is scheduled to formally open Oct. 25.
“As of the last two weeks we are 86 percent leased,” said Michael Markman, president of Horsham-based BET Investments, during a recent presentation to township council. “We expect to be 92 percent leased by the end of this year and filled and leased by Jan. 31.”
Approved by council in November 2015, the redevelopment of the 58-acre site is the culmination of a project begun two years earlier when BET Investments acquired the property. Like an estimated 15 percent of American malls, Granite Run was unable to continue attracting those who once considered the 125 storefronts to be
destination shopping.
Promenade at Granite Run will be its own destination. With a town center concept, the integration will not only meet the social, shopping, fitness and transportation needs of its residents, but provide those same offerings to one-time mall frequenters.
The overall size of the development, reduced from approximately one million to about 820,000 square feet, will be open air, rather than mall confining. About 350,000 square feet will be devoted to retail, with a landscaped courtyard surrounded by one- and twostory buildings connected to existing anchor tenants Boscov’s and Sears. The assortment of stores will include national beauty, home furnishings and specialty pet needs stores, fast casual restaurants and a 36,000-square foot gym, said Markman.
Not to be left behind in the parcel’s extreme face lift, he noted Boscov’s will be completing $2-$3 million in renovations, including a new entrance. Markman added he made a “substantial offer” to buy Sears and its free-standing auto center, as a number of possible retailers were interested in the space.
“Tenants who never showed any interest have now been trying to get in touch with me,” he said. “Developers will be trying to emulate this concept in other parts of the country.”
The site has been reconfigured with stand-alone buildings for retailers such as TJ Maxx and Marshalls and a proposed restaurant closer to Baltimore Pike. The interesting architecture and eventual landscaping, completed within the recommendations of a design guidelines manual, will be far more enticing than the one-time vast parking lot.
The former AMC Theater is making way for Frank Theatres Cinebowl & Grille, combining multiple screens with luxury seating, boutique-style 10-pin alleys, arcade games and a bar/restaurant. The entertainment center, under construction in the rear of the property, will be the spot for birthday parties, corporate events or a night with friends. The company currently has locations in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia and like Granite Run, its website shows “coming soon” to cities in Indiana, New Jersey, Tennessee and West Virginia.
“It is an entertainment concept that has a regional draw,” said Markman. “It will have dine-in movies and couches surrounding big-screen TVs.”
The outskirts of the property will retain a standalone Kohl’s department store, Acme supermarket, PennDOT driver testing/ licensing facility and the Sears auto center.
The 7,000-square-foot CHOP pediatric center opened this summer.
Construction also has started on the 192-unit, four-story luxury apartment building on the former ChiChi’s restaurant pad fronting Route 352. The studio, one- and two-bedroom units are slated to open in February 2019.
The complex will offer 11,000-12,000 square feet of amenity space with features demanded by busy dwellers. The rotunda will be surrounded by conveniences such as a fitness center overlooking a pool, recreation area, Uber lobby and staging area for Amazon deliveries.
“The views from the top floors will be tremendous,” said Markman. “With the parking garage, people will be able to drive from the lot to their floor.”
Once the apartments are 75 percent leased, work will start on the bookend complex on the Oriole Avenue side of the tract. The existing AMC movie theater will be razed to make room for the second apartment building.
“We are expecting an interesting mix of tenants,” he added. “We expect at least half will be empty nesters.”
Promenade at Granite Run has been designed as a walkable community surrounded by a trail connected to the township building and library. Residents also will benefit from the improvements proposed as part of the anticipated Franklin Mint/Ponds Edge developments and SEPTA’s new Wawa train station. Council has applied for a state Transit Revitalization Investment District (TRID) grant that could provide up to $350,000 annually for a maximum of 20 years to finance qualified development or infrastructure upgrades.
BET Investments also owns West End Flats, a contemporary 162-unit apartment community under construction in Baltimore Pike in Media’s district of the same name. Its residents will not only be able to take advantage of the shops and restaurants on State Street, but have the convenience of a shuttle to the town center.
The township and Rose Tree Media School District have waited patiently for the financial impact of Promenade at Granite Run, which will begin in 2018. Past revenue from the mall allowed the township to accrue a surplus, driven by increases in real estate tax revenue and the business privilege tax, which were applied this year through a 6.25-percent reduction in property taxes. The benefit will start again in January with the property’s increased assessed value and mercantile tax collected on a per transaction basis, said council President Mark Kirchgasser earlier this year.
“The area will have a much higher value than the mall,” said Markman. “It will be a tremendous win for the township and the school district.”
Promenade at Granite Run and its predecessor were named for their foundation and a portion will be highlighted as a reminder. A section of the igneous rock originally used in the mall’s construction will be incorporated into its sophisticated next generation.
“We will clean it up and light it up,” said Markman. “It is will be really dramatic.”