Thursday, November 17, 2011
Developers of the $450 million Newbury project in South Fayette are amping up efforts to build homes and businesses.
In the spring, Newbury will begin building a 250-unit apartment complex and start road work in preparation for more than 60 retail and commercial spaces.
If the work goes as planned, the first apartments will be occupied by fall 2012, and the first businesses will open in late 2013. In addition, Newbury will continue building its neighborhood of single-family homes.
Brett Malky, president of EQA Landmark Communities, told township officials Monday that a tough economy has slowed the pace of development, but Newbury is on track to build the full plan.
The mixed-use design includes 225 homes, 250 rental apartments and 1.2 million square feet of commercial space on an 80-acre former chemical plant site adjacent to the Bridgeville interchange of Interstate 79.
So far, Newbury has invested about $30 million in the project, including homebuilding, land preparation, utility work, improvements to Presto-Sygan Road and the relocation of 84 Lumber to make way for retail space, Mr. Malky said.
On a hill above Presto-Sygan Road, 60 single-family homes have been built and sold at an average price of $510,000, and 20 of the homes are occupied, he said.
Newbury Market has secured leases with grocer Giant Eagle, a Marriott Courtyard hotel and a 120,000-square-foot office building, and in the spring it will announce more than 60 additional retail and commercial tenants such as small shops, restaurants, banks and big-box stores, Mr. Malky said.
Also in the spring, Newbury will start construction of the shopping center entrance on Route 50 and begin work on nearby roads in preparation for the commercial development.
Meanwhile, South Fayette commissioners are scheduled to vote next week on plans for Newbury Village, a complex of 11, three-story buildings containing a total of 250 garden apartments on Oakridge Road.
Construction is set to begin in the spring, with some occupancy available next fall, Mr. Malky said. The one- and two-bedroom units will rent for about $1,000 to $2,500 a month. "It's going to be a boon for this community," Mr. Malky said.
Project manager Eric Newhouse said national and local studies have shown the apartments will appeal to single people and young professionals rather than families with children.
The 37-acre property will contain 29 acres of open space and a walking trail that connects to the single-family neighborhood and the shopping center.
The apartments will be located along both sides of state-owned Oakridge Road, and township commissioners expressed concerns about pedestrian safety. The developers said they would consider warning signs and ask the state Department of Transportation to install a crosswalk.
First published on November 17, 2011 at 4:59 am
