Get your free coffee! New Wawa opens today in Media
MEDIA » The famous Wawa coffee will be hot, fresh and even free through this weekend as the Delco convenience giant rolls out its newest store on Baltimore Pike in the county seat. But in some respects, it has been brewing for years.
Jeffry Cadorette, Media Real Estate vice president, pinpointed the start time when his company and Wawa entered into a land lease agreement in 2011. The process that ensued in those six years was often arduous, sometime contentious, but ultimately successful as a Delaware County favorite welcomes customers tomorrow.
“We are tickled that Wawa is opening. It is only because Wawa was incredibly patience, and (Media Real Estate) was incredibly persistent,” said Cadorette. “In the minds of Wawa, this is their flagship store; it represents being in their hometown. This was a good project from the get-go, and it is great for the community.”
So one might ask, why did it take six years? The first year announced Wawa’s intention to rise on a full block bordered by Baltimore Avenue, Providence Road and State Street — three highly traveled roadways. The subsequent five years involved architect Bob Linn and his firm which took the lead role, along with project attorney Tim Sullivan, in design, engineering and litigation. The submitted plan, often tweaked, was for 13,521 square feet including the convenience store and fueling stations and parking on the parcel of about 1.5 acres.
A fair assessment is that borough officials — including council, the planning commission and consultants — raised a consistent stream of “concerns” over the course of what Linn tallied as 24 meetings. The issues covered a broad range of factors, even as basic as having a “convenience store” at the eastern gateway to the borough. But there was no relevant challenge to that use on the site.
The most fundamental matter, and focus of many meetings, was traffic being created at Baltimore Avenue and Providence Road. Traffic engineers from the applicant and borough sometimes sparred on counts, impacts and remedies. Ultimately a six-figure “contribution” by Media Real Estate toward intersection remediation was put into the final agreement.
Another cost to Media Real Estate was approximately $30,000 annually for use of a portion of Baker Street which bisected the property and exited onto Providence Road. The final design included a reconfigured L-shaped access to the rear of State Street houses. At the end of that short service roadway will be a pocket park of about 10,000 square feet, also donated to the borough by Media Real Estate.
Linn and engineers moved the building farther off of State Street in consideration of a piece of the parcel which, over the years, had seesawed between residential and commercial zoning. Other concerns included the location and function of the eight pumps (16 fueling stations); parking spaces and placement; and such standard land development issues as lighting and landscaping.
Many of these factors were the source of opposition from residents living across Providence Road in the Bowling Green neighborhood of Nether Providence. They once suggested prohibiting traffic through their streets, but with little legal ability to do so.
The borough asked for and got an outdoor seating area, sited at the State Street corner. Cadorette said it may be the only such amenity outside of Wawa stores in Florida (where the corporation is steadily expanding).
The most striking and obvious consideration was the building design itself.
“The ideas came from the planning commission. The borough wanted it to have a signature and statement relevant to the borough,” said Linn, whose design echoes the classic trolley waiting areas.
The site is so visible as to cause consistent talk about the progress, or lack thereof, following council’s April 2015 final plan approval. The former Media Inn and a BP gas station were demolished. Movement of utilities caused a delay.
On the eve of opening, a few speculations (again, rumors) can be addressed. First, the corner property, now occupied by Starbucks, has a separate land owner, and has never been in play.
The “second floor” was created to meet the requirements of the TND (Traditional Neighborhood District). Linn firmly stated it is only visual, and not structurally or functionally a floor at all. There are no current plans for licensing of beer sales, and the store has not been designed to meet strict state regulations. Lastly, the heavily used Wawa at Baltimore Avenue and Monroe Street is to remain open, and is expected to undergo a renovation, as have many Wawa “legacy” stores.
For now, Media is anxious to get the show started. Coffee is on at 8 a.m., Mayor Bob McMahon can be expected to cut the ribbon at 10 a.m., and Hoagiefest is still in progress.