PHILADELPHIA-CAMDEN-WILMINGTON-ATLANTIC CITY-READING | Metro Development Thread

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

Wegmans is only cheaper than Giant if your purchase contains a majority of Wegmans brand items, step outside of that and you will be surprised. Giant also offers more coupons and deals than Wegmans, it's not even close...and Giant offers points for purchases that add up quickly. If you are even a semi-strategic shopper there's not a comparison.

Wegmans secret weapon is how good their store-brand stuff is. And in many cases, they make it very hard to find name brands on the shelf. It's annoying. But the wegmans brand is usually pretty damn good.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

Wegmans is only cheaper than Giant if your purchase contains a majority of Wegmans brand items, step outside of that and you will be surprised. Giant also offers more coupons and deals than Wegmans, it's not even close...and Giant offers points for purchases that add up quickly. If you are even a semi-strategic shopper there's not a comparison.

I guess this matters if you do all your shopping at one place. And I guess this makes sense if you live in a car dependent suburb.

People in Philadelphia (at least the ones I know) don't shop this way. I go to Lidl for my staples, then layer on my fresh vegetables at a different point from RiverWards (which has super compelling produce prices), and TJ's for some novelty stuff. Then I get everything else from the IGA that's a block from my house. Obviously I'm not doing this all at once but I shop this way because each place is specifically cheapest in these respective areas.

I don't know anyone in Philly that goes to a Giant or Wegmans type store and leaves with a cart full of stuff. We just don't shop that way for a multitude of reasons.

[PHLtoNYC]

D.R. Horton to build 163 townhomes in Camden County
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia...cx_testVariant=cx_8&cx_artPos=2#cxrecs_s

The planned residential development in Gibbsboro Borough, called Lakeside Village, is to be built on property formerly owned by Brandywine Realty Trust. The 11-acre site comprisesseveral parcels D.R. Horton purchased for a collective $6.3 million, according to Camden County deeds. The community's model home is expected to open in early January, with prices starting at $460,000.

[Jawnadelphia]

There has been so much development around the UD campus the last 5 years or so, it's tough to keep up. Here are a few of the current projects:

UD Star Campus - two 7-story apartment buildings from BPG, 229 units. This is directly across the street from Delaware Stadium (home of the bowl bound Blue Hens).




https://residebpg.com/properties/ud-star-residential/

Tsionas is building a monster of a new apartment building a few blocks off Main Street. This place is huge.




https://thecontinentalatudel.com/?gad_so...zyiD0iPUzRXJUA-3UH5vg-h78SwaApYeEALw_wcB

BPG has another building right off Main Street - more luxury apartments.


https://mainandhaines.com/?gad_source=1&...l2AkJuYBNwvTj7bu0YdNQhFPZAgaAtT-EALw_wcB

Lang Development has this one off Elkton Road nearby the UD campus.


https://langdevelopmentgroup.com/property/532-old-barksdale-road/

And there are a few others underway as well... which I didn't have time to swing by. UD/Newark is booming.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

If you look at the "digital print edition" (which is just a PDF version of the paper copy) the last page or two are "luxury real estate transactions". Delaware County is never included. It's Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Camden Counties.

Some weeks Camden County might get omitted as well but Delco never makes an appearance.

I finally heard back from the PBJ regarding this question (I emailed them 3 times).

Their response:

"The transactions part of the paper isn’t my wheelhouse, but I do have some information here explains why Delco is missing.
For some reason, Delco is the only county that refuses to share residential transactional data with us. We’ve made multiple attempts in the past to try to acquire it, but we haven’t had any luck.
Our real estate reporter Paul Schwedelson has the details on it."

[domodeez]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

I finally heard back from the PBJ regarding this question (I emailed them 3 times).

Their response:

"The transactions part of the paper isn’t my wheelhouse, but I do have some information here explains why Delco is missing.
For some reason, Delco is the only county that refuses to share residential transactional data with us. We’ve made multiple attempts in the past to try to acquire it, but we haven’t had any luck.
Our real estate reporter Paul Schwedelson has the details on it."

If I were PBJ, I would include that copy as a footnote in every publication of its transactions listings (“Delaware County refuses to share residential transactional data with us.”) rather than leave them out with no explanation.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by domodeez

If I were PBJ, I would include that copy as a footnote in every publication of its transactions listings (“Delaware County refuses to share residential transactional data with us.”) rather than leave them out with no explanation.

Agree, since that is news to me.
Comes off as lazy data gathering.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by domodeez

If I were PBJ, I would include that copy as a footnote in every publication of its transactions listings (“Delaware County refuses to share residential transactional data with us.”) rather than leave them out with no explanation.

Hard to believe considering you can just look up this data on your own in real time. I check the Delaware Country Recorder of Deeds site multiple times a month. You can sort by latest transaction date.

They're lazy.

[PHLtoNYC]

Great for Ardmore. Hopefully the final product doesn't look cheap.

Piazza and Radnor Property Group to begin work on $187M mixed-use project in Ardmore
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2025/12/29/piazza-ardmore-development-radnor.html

Radnor Property Group is set to begin construction on a mixed-use development in Ardmore that will add hundreds of apartments to an area drawing attention from multifamily developers looking to build near transit hubs.

The $187 million, 270-unit development at 100 W. Lancaster Ave. is planned to have about 30,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 480 garage parking spaces, including 108 for public use by retail customers. The project is named The Piazza at Ardmore after property owners Daniel Piazza and his family.

With construction beginning in January, The Piazza at Ardmore could be completed by early 2028.

Of the development’s 270 units, roughly 57% will be one-bedroom apartments, 35% two-bedroom and 8% three-bedroom. The residential portion of the building is planned to have a community lounge, coworking space, fitness center, outdoor pool and 19,000 square feet of outdoor courtyard space.

The ground-floor retail could include a mix of food and beverage, health and wellness, fashion or service tenants, and a portion of the parking garage will be underground.

[PhillyRising]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

Wegmans is only cheaper than Giant if your purchase contains a majority of Wegmans brand items, step outside of that and you will be surprised. Giant also offers more coupons and deals than Wegmans, it's not even close...and Giant offers points for purchases that add up quickly. If you are even a semi-strategic shopper there's not a comparison.

Wegmans is cheaper than Giant and Acme....for the grocery area. Wegmans doesn't do sales because they don't have higher prices. Yes their store offerings are much cheaper but for the most part are as good as the name brands.

Wegmans gets you in the prepared food areas......very expensive!

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by PhillyRising

Wegmans is cheaper than Giant and Acme....for the grocery area. Wegmans doesn't do sales because they don't have higher prices.

I have done comparisons and disagree. And speaking of the grocery business

GIANT Company closing five Pennsylvania fulfillment centers

According to The GIANT Company, these Pennsylvania fulfillment centers that will be closing down include locations in Lancaster, Philadelphia, Willow Grove, Coopersburg, and North Coventry.
https://www.abc27.com/news/giant-company-closing-five-pennsylvania-fulfilment-centers/

[PHLtoNYC]

Final product looks pretty good (better in person), and some nice new retailers.

First look: Inside Ardmore's new $100M apartment building in Suburban Square
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia...rban-square-apartment-bozzuto-kimco.html

Bozzuto and partner Kimco Realty are set to open Coulter Place, a 131-unit apartment building at 115 Coulter Ave. adjacent to popular retail center Suburban Square later this month. The Main Line development is the final phase of the redevelopment of Suburban Square, which Kimco (NYSE: KIM) bought in 2007 for $215 million.

The developers are banking on the five-story building's proximity to nearby amenities such as Trader Joe’s and Ardmore Farmers Market across the street and the host of shopping and dining options at Suburban Square being its biggest draw. The Ardmore train station and Ardmore Music Hall are a quarter-mile away.

The building’s ground floor has 20,000 square feet of retail space, which has been leased to apparel stores New Balance and Rhone, tanning salon Sugared + Bronzed, skincare clinic Skin Laundry and fitness studio Barry’s. Bozzuto is negotiating with prospective tenants for the remaining two retail spaces.

Monthly rent for one-bedroom apartments is starting around $3,000, according to Coulter Place’s website.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

Final product looks pretty good (better in person), and some nice new retailers.

First look: Inside Ardmore's new $100M apartment building in Suburban Square
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia...rban-square-apartment-bozzuto-kimco.html

Bozzuto and partner Kimco Realty are set to open Coulter Place, a 131-unit apartment building at 115 Coulter Ave. adjacent to popular retail center Suburban Square later this month. The Main Line development is the final phase of the redevelopment of Suburban Square, which Kimco (NYSE: KIM) bought in 2007 for $215 million.

The developers are banking on the five-story building's proximity to nearby amenities such as Trader Joe’s and Ardmore Farmers Market across the street and the host of shopping and dining options at Suburban Square being its biggest draw. The Ardmore train station and Ardmore Music Hall are a quarter-mile away.

The building’s ground floor has 20,000 square feet of retail space, which has been leased to apparel stores New Balance and Rhone, tanning salon Sugared + Bronzed, skincare clinic Skin Laundry and fitness studio Barry’s. Bozzuto is negotiating with prospective tenants for the remaining two retail spaces.

Monthly rent for one-bedroom apartments is starting around $3,000, according to Coulter Place’s website.

Even if it's structurally garbage, aesthetically this is much more pleasing than anything being built in Philly right now.

$3K for a one bedroom apartment is insane, though.

[UrbanRevival]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

$3K for a one bedroom apartment is insane, though.

Goes to show still how supply-constrained the Main Line is still, even with a large uptick in multifamily construction in recent years.

Suburban Square also offers a pretty unique niche for retail access, walkability, transit, and city proximity.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Even if it's structurally garbage, aesthetically this is much more pleasing than anything being built in Philly right now.

$3K for a one bedroom apartment is insane, though.

Most of these new stick built apartment buildings have no proper soundproofing materials between units and floors, you hear everything. I've even heard about sound issues between units in several new CC high rises.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by UrbanRevival

Goes to show still how supply-constrained the Main Line is still, even with a large uptick in multifamily construction in recent years.

Suburban Square also offers a pretty unique niche for retail access, walkability, transit, and city proximity.

Ardmore is frankly demanding of a highrise. The NIMBYs in the area would never approve it but the area is really well poised to be a satellite city of Philadelphia.

Dranoff's slop was the perfect place for it, too. Now, I think the only spot you could build something taller than 12 stories is the parking lot at Anderson and Coulter... which would never fly with the neighbors.

[PHLtoNYC]

Nordstrom Rack coming to Exton and Media.
Great addition to Granite run, now if only the vacant Sears could be knocked down/replaced.

Nordstrom Rack to open stores in Chester and Delaware counties
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia...rom-rack-to-open-stores-media-exton.html

The Exton store will be situated in Main Street at Exton...
The Nordstrom Rack store in Media will be located at Promenade at Granite Run...

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Even if it's structurally garbage, aesthetically this is much more pleasing than anything being built in Philly right now.

$3K for a one bedroom apartment is insane, though.

I like this building in Ardmore, but ANYTHING in Philly? I disagree. A lot of really nice stop being built in Fishtown, Northern Liberties, Olde Kensington, East Kensington, the Delaware Waterfront, North Broad, Brewerytown… a lot of 🞵🞵🞵🞵 for sure, but a lot of nice looking new builds as well.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by summersm343

I like this building in Ardmore, but ANYTHING in Philly? I disagree. A lot of really nice stop being built in Fishtown, Northern Liberties, Olde Kensington, East Kensington, the Delaware Waterfront, North Broad, Brewerytown… a lot of 🞵🞵🞵🞵 for sure, but a lot of nice looking new builds as well.

I'm not sure I can think of a development comparable in size that looks as nice as this. Even the CANNO stuff (which undoubtedly has better primary facades) still uses vinyl siding on anything not fronting the street.

I don't like the metal panels between the windows on this one, but to be fair to the designer a common motif in Art Deco is to have darker sections between windows running vertically. It actually kind of works here.

Speaking of, the Art Deco vertical stonework is a really nice touch that gives the project a good bit of depth. Can you point to anything in Philly with this kind of ornamentation?

1001 S. Broad has a beautiful Art Deco grand entrance, but otherwise is rather okay looking. Little things like these are what make or break building aesthetics.

[Justin7]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

Most of these new stick built apartment buildings have no proper soundproofing materials between units and floors, you hear everything. I've even heard about sound issues between units in several new CC high rises.

Which ones?