Site prep work is making progress at the site of a large multi-family building planned at the edge of The Promenade At Granite Run, a mixed-use redevelopment at the site of the former Granite Run Mall in Lima in Middletown Township, PA. No specific renderings or plans have been released for the building, although the structure’s stats have been mentioned in brochures for the shopping center, listing 208 apartments to be added to the property, all set to be apartments. Developed by BET Investments, the structure will include “state-of-the-art virtual fitness clubs, a lavish pool an numerous socially engaging amenities.”
This density will come in addition to 192 units added at ‘50 At Granite Run,’ the first multi-family building to be completed at the opposite end of the Promenade. as of October, 188 of these were filled, for a vacancy rate of just around 2%, very low. Although no renderings are available for second multi-family building, it will likely look very much like the first structure.
Current view of 50 at Granite Run. Credit: Colin LeStourgeon.
50 At Granite Run features a tan exterior, comprised of a wide range of materials. The typical style of “breaking up the massing” can be observed on the building where corners or other prominent locations on the building rise higher than the remainder of the structure. Numerous abutments can be observed throughout the exterior, and the wide pallet of facade pieces is striking. Red/brown brick can be seen on lower floors, occupancies by tan and gray painted cinderblock, while upper floors see tan and white sideline, with rows or columns arranged north a grid-like pattern, as well as vertically in other places. Every unit has a balcony, which allows for many columns of these outdoor amenities. A massive parking structure is attached to the building and is reserved for building residents.
The new building is replacing a once successful string of businesses that benefitted from its location on the fringe of the mall’s property. A small strip mall was one of the two key occupiers, while a movie theater sat behind it. Eventually, all businesses except for a singular pizza place had closed, as did the movie theater, and so it was becoming increasingly likely that this occupation was likely on the outs.
View of Promenade At Granite Run strip mall. (December 2021). Credit: Colin LeStourgeon.
Confirming this suspicion, demolition equipment arrived on site in late December, and promptly began work taking down the buildings. This work moved forward rather quickly, and the entirety of the site has now been leveled, readying the site for the new apartment complex.
Promenade at Granite Run site. Credit: Colin LeStourgeon.
The property is now largely a strip of asphalt, with some dirt piles situated adjacent to where excavation work has began. Diggers are active on site, and are beginning the tedious process of digging out the foundations for the future structure. The site is and has been surrounded by chain link fence.
Promenade at Granite Run site. Credit: Colin LeStourgeon.
The new density is a good addition to the property and will help add more residents to support the businesses moving in nearby. The combination of the two buildings calls for 400 units to rise at the Promenade, which is a pretty hefty number and will allow for 24/7 activity.
Aerial views of The Promenade At Granite Run. Credit: BET Investments.
Unfortunately, the makeover of the site has not exactly turned out like the town center that was originally anticipated to replace the mall. The sea of parking lots remain, and the overall whole of the shopping center remains an unfortunate gray scar to the landscape. The area has turned into a highly car-centric area, which requires crossing parking lots to access businesses. While these new residents moving in partially helps improve the condition of the property, the reality is that these apartments are also very car-centric, with the massive parking structure being a key sign of this.
Site plan of The Promenade At Granite Run. Credit: BET Investments.
This reality is likely to remain the same, as this new apartment building will consume the last remaining developable parcels at the Promenade. Moving forward, as more major transformations of mall properties occur throughout the country and region, hopefully more take the approach of pivoting on their former land use, and look to create walkable urban-replicated spaces that will ultimately prove to be more desirable and beneficial to the surrounding area. With this said, the changes made at the former mall site were a certain improvement, and the new residential density will at least be added in a location not far from the planned Middletown station as part of the Wawa Media/Elwyn line extension. Construction for that is ongoing and making steady headway, with completion beginning to come into site.
No official opening date is known for the new apartment buidling.
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This is definitely an old leasing map. Sears and Modell’s are closed.
Yup, it is out of date, however is one of the only readily available resources online that nicely diagram the layout of the promenade, as well as provide info on the planned apartment building.
Do plan a visit to Wawa station as this is the terminus of the line going from Elwyn station to Wawa station as SEPTA Regional Rail. SEPTA has not shown any progress being made of the Wawa station and it’s associated parking garage which was supposed to be completed December 2021. Eventually, another extension from WAWA to West Chester will be started sometime this decade.
The BET multifamily building recently built in the boro of Media (West End Flats) is more attractive than the properties at the Promenade. At West End Flats, you have Sterling Pig Brewery, Burlap and Bean coffee across the street, three block walk to everything on State Street (dozens of choices), three block walk to the 101 trolley, and about a five block walk to the train station. Trader Joes is somewhat walking distance. As noted in the article, the Promenade is car dependent. And Aladdin’s Castle isn’t even there anymore.
Granite run started as an “indoor mall-maze” which now has become an “outdoor mall maze”
Poor planning !!
What’re they doing with the shell of a building on the other side? It looks like it was supposed to be a movie theater but they’re tearing down the facade now.
What happen to the 55 plus apartments that supposedly were slated to be built ?