Doylestown Planners Give Nod To First Phase Of Barn Plaza Project

DOYLESTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Preliminary plans for the first phase of the Barn Plaza redevelopment project are headed to the board of supervisors.

At its May meeting, the township’s planning commission recommended approval of plans by Brixmor Property Group to redevelop the former Applebee’s pad site as part of a multi-million-dollar upgrade to the shopping center on Route 611.

Brixmor plans to replace the former 5,000-square-foot Applebee’s with a multi-tenant building that will include three restaurants. The proposed new building would be slightly larger than the existing structure.

Among the new tenants will be First Watch, a Florida-based daytime dining concept serving made-to-order breakfast, brunch and lunch items.

Also as part of its phase one application, Brixmor is seeking approval to convert a small triangle-shaped piece of land into an outdoor dining patio at the new Honeygrow restaurant at the northern end of the center.

The plan calls for converting this small triangle piece of ground into an outdoor dining patio at Honeygrow. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

After securing land development approvals for the former Applebee’s site, Brixmor will be returning to the planning commission and the board of supervisors with a more extensive redevelopment application for the former Barn Plaza cinema.

Brixmor will be seeking to demolish the former Regal Cinema and replace it with four new multi-tenant buildings that will house restaurant, retail, and medical office uses.

Regal closed its Barn Plaza cinema in early 2023 after the nationwide movie theater chain declared bankruptcy and began shutting down theaters across the nation. At about the same time the plaza lost its stand-alone Applebee’s restaurant, which suddenly closed in May.

At the former Regal site, three new one story buildings are envisioned - 7,600 square feet of medical office space, 24,000 square feet of retail space, and 9,000 square feet of restaurant space.

The redevelopment is part of a broader multi-million-dollar project that also includes a major upgrade to the facade of the shopping center and the construction of a new Whole Foods and Barnes & Noble stores at the former site of Marshall's and Home Goods.

The new Whole Foods and Barnes & Noble stores continue to take shape at the shopping center on Route 611 in Doylestown Township. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

The Barn Plaza is also home to a Kohl’s Department, Gerhard’s Appliances, Douglas Jewelers, Piccolo Trattoria, Pure Barre, Mattress Firm, and Club Pilates.