600 Apartments Proposed At Oxford Valley Mall

MIDDLETOWN, PA — A Pennsylvania-based developer of upscale apartments is looking to bring about 600 units to Oxford Valley Mall.

Cornerstone Tracy Development plans to seek a rezoning that would allow them to build two apartment buildings at the mall, on the site of the now-closed Boscov's department store. On Monday, developers made an informational presentation to members of Middletown's board of supervisors.

Developers say they're looking to help revamp and revitalize the mall area, even as shopping malls nationwide are dealing with pressure that includes increased competition from online sales.

"The mall business has changed dramatically in this country," Don Tracy, a partner in the development company, told Patch. "Mall operations are looking for other operations to activate the land and turn it into other concepts that match the changing landscape."

Tracy said the development would be done in two phases, with the first building holding about 390 units and the second holding about 200-220. A timeline for the project depends on local government's approval, he said, but if all goes well, he said construction could start in about 18 months and the first phase would take about 2 1/2 years to build.

First, Cornerstone Tracy will need Middletown supervisors to approve a rezoning that would allow apartments in what is currently a heavily commercial district. Monday's meeting was not a formal request, but developers expect to make such a request soon.

Middletown Township Manager Stephanie Teoli Kuhls said the matter is expected to go before the township's planning commission in September and to be back before supervisors for official consideration after that.

At other malls throughout the nation, the addition of housing has been part of larger redevelopment efforts to revitalize sometimes aging retail areas.

A spokeswoman for Simon Property Group, which owns Oxford Valley Mall, told Patch the organization is "not ready to comment on any development plans for Oxford Valley Mall at this time."

Cornerstone Tracy has built thousands of apartments over the past 25 years. In Pennsylvania, its projects have included Village at Valley Forge, near King of Prussia Mall.