Two local developers want to build a high-end, town-center-style apartment building on Lancaster Avenue in Berwyn, a “boutique” complex with the ice-cream shop Handel’s at its core. David Della Porta, of Villanova-based Cornerstone Tracy, and Todd Pohlig, of Malvern-based Pohlig Custom Homes, have talked with Easttown Township officials about preliminary plans for the site and have presented ideas for a 120-unit complex to the town’s zoning hearing board in hopes it will sign off on a slightly larger project than the code allows. “This site, I’ll call it the gateway to the village,” Della Porta said. “We have a chance to really add something that could transform the village.”
Their gateway plan: A four-story, 150,000-square-foot mixed-use development with Handel’s and one or two small retailers on the ground floor, luxury apartments above, and a public plaza in the center. The complex also would include a two-story, 228-spot parking garage. Della Porta declined to comment on how much they intend to spend on the project.
Residents who oppose the project say the complex will increase traffic, put pressure on the police and fire departments, and increase enrollment in Tredyffrin/Easttown School District. They’ve started a loosely organized group called Save Easttown to protest the plan, which developers have called Berwyn Square.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 9/4/2019
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