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Piazza Land Development project update
Construction to redevelop the property that sits on Lancaster Avenue between Ardmore Avenue and Greenfield Avenue will begin later this fall.
ARDMORE, Pa. - A major development project will bring retail and hundreds of new apartment units to the Main Line.
What we know:
The Piazza Land Development project went through a lengthy approval process before the pandemic.
The property being redeveloped sits on Lancaster Avenue between Ardmore Avenue and Greenfield Avenue. Developers will break ground after Thanksgiving, according to Lower Merion Director of Building and Planning Chris Leswing.
"We really want to make it feel like it’s part of downtown walkable Ardmore and that’s the whole idea," said Leswing. "It’s going to have a lot more street trees, shrubs, planters landscaping at the ground level. A lot of windows, a lot of new decorative lights, and then on the upper floors a brick building with some new apartments and balconies on top."
The project calls for nearly 30,000 square feet of retail, 270 apartment units and over 480 parking spaces. Leswing said it will also offer a comfortable space for people to gather and socialize.
"We were able to negotiate with the developer a safe mid-block crossing with lights where people can dedicatedly walk across and also help people to walk to local parks and the community center that’s now on the way," said Leswing.
Alec Hersh, the executive director of Ardmore Initiative, said it’s a game changer for this side of downtown Ardmore and for nearby college students.
"Haverford College is you know six blocks that way and Bryn Mawr just a little bit further and this is their college town," said Hersh. "This project does a really nice job of extending the commercial corridor, even closer to those campuses."
The portion of Athens Avenue that is currently a dead-end street will be extended under the project and serve as the driveway for the shopping center and apartment’s parking garages.
"My initial reaction is it will be overwhelming," said Sharon Block of Wynnewood. "Other than the aesthetic of a big thing, my immediate reaction is it’s not negative."
"Oh, I think it’s great. I think they’re developing Ardmore into a wonderful location for people to go to the city or just hang here. Have restaurants, things to do, shopping. I think it’s vibrant for the community," said Michael Freeman, General Manager of Main Line Honda.
What's next:
Leswing said construction is expected to be finished by fall 2027.