A developer from the Reading, Pa. area offered a glimpse into its plans for a retail and residential development near Christiana Mall to the News Journal, perhaps giving County Executive Tom Gordon a first test for his economic development strategy.
The Carlino Development Group, of Wyomissing, showed off some preliminary sketches that would involve the entire Cavaliers Country Club Property next to the mall and off Churchmans Road.
Developers told the newspaper the property will include 525 homes and nearly 400,000 square feet of retail space that would serve the neighborhood and not compete directly with the mall. The project has not gone into the sometimes-lengthy county planning process, meaning the developer could still pull the plug if problems emerge.
Carlino is active in the area. It is currently building retail space at Routes 1 and 202 in Concordville, Pa. that would include the popular Wegmans supermarket chain.
The popular supermarket chain features upscale grocery offers and more square footage than rival Whole Foods.. Both grocers have been mentioned as possible additions to the area around Christiana Mall.
Carlino originally sent out trial balloons on a project at the Cavaliers property that would encompass about half the acreage the property. The company’s website said the original project was undergoing “due diligence.”
The proposal comes after the expansion of Christiana Mall has been completed with the addition of a Cinemark theater and a Cabela’s outdoors store near the Cavaliers property.
Development is under way on the Christiana Fashion Center next to the mall. While work is under way at the site, only a Nordstrom Rack store has been announced.
There are also plans to redevelop the former Sears distribution and service complex into a retail center off Route 273 and near the Delmarva Power corporate office and service complex. That project was to have included a Regal Theater.
If the Cavaliers project goes through the approval process with the county, it would offer a test of the administration of County Executive Tom Gordon, which vowed to take a more business friendly stance and look for opportunities to create more blue collar jobs.
New residential development could be a drawing card in gaining residents who could walk or take a short bus ride to the mall, avoiding crowded highways in the area.
However, better sites for such development might exist, including a portion of the sprawling Delaware Park property, which at one time was mentioned as the site of a transit friendly development that would be next to a SEPTA rail station already at the site.
Meanwhile, the administration opposed a mixed use development at the former DuPont Barley Mill site between Wilmington and Greenville, siding with some neighbors vehemently opposed to the project from developer Stoltz.
The administration also opposed a Wal Mart near the New Castle Airport. There was also some reluctance on development of the site in other quarters, due to prospects that a company with ties to aviation and the airport site might eventually be interested in the site.
The administration has also indicated the county might buy the former G.M. Boxwood assembly plant for future industrial development and to avoid the property becoming yet another retail site.
Retail development will boost construction activity, but creates jobs that often pay around minimum wage. Some exceptions exist, one being Costco, which is located near Christiana Mall, but offers higher pay scales and benefits such as health insurance.
Traffic was a major issue in the case of the Barley Mill development and the same would be true with the Cavaliers plan.
Despite the recent $100 million plus “flyover” interchange project near the mall, there are concerns that area could see gridlock during the holidays and weekends as more development continues.
Prospective tenants of stores in new developments are reportedly taking a “wait and see” stance in determining if the highway system can handle more shoppers.
The mall area remains a prime attraction, due to the lack of a sales tax in Delaware and a variety of mid-market and upscale retailers, restaurants and related businesses.
At the same time, however, retail employment has been relatively flat amid signs of a sluggish economy and a changeover to buying more goods on the Internet.
To the south of the mall, Amazon.com employs upward of 1,500 at a distribution center in Middletown. The giant company is rolling out same day delivery to many locations, including Philadelphia.
