Looking Ahead To 2023: Steeple View Project On Newtown Borough Agenda

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — Long awaited plans for the second phase of the Steeple View redevelopment project will be on the borough’s agenda in 2023.

At its first meeting of the year on Wednesday, Jan. 4 the borough council is scheduled to hear a presentation from developer Allan Smith and his lawyer, Tim Duffy, on the project.

In November, the council granted Smith a three month extension for his project, the largest redevelopment project in the town’s history.

The final plan for the mixed use project was scheduled to expire at the end of this year. It has now been extended until March 31, 2023.

The extension is giving Smith and his team of professionals additional time to address issues raised during meetings with the borough’s planning commission this fall.

Last May, Smith presented conceptual plans for a scaled down project at the site of the former Stockburger Auto Dealership on South State Street behind the new Wine and Spirits Shoppe and extending north to Centre Avenue.

In a presentation made before borough council, Smith said since preliminary plans were approved for the mixed use multi-million-dollar Traditional Neighborhood development, trends in office and brick and mortar retail have changed dramatically requiring a new look at the project.

The plan approved in 2016 envisioned the redevelopment of eight and a half acres, stretching from Centre Avenue at the Newtown Creek south to the former Stockburger property on South State Street, with 11 mixed use buildings containing office, retail, restaurant and residential uses.

The plan also envisioned $15 million worth of public improvements, including a five-story 500 space public parking garage, a public piazza (town square) and a public walkway along the Newtown Creek.

It also included 15,000 square feet of new office space, 52,000 square feet of new retail space, 10,669 square feet of new restaurant uses and 110 residential condominiums.

Smith’s conceptual plan revision eliminates the proposed 500 car parking garage along with 15,000 square feet of office space. It also reduces the proposed new retail from 52,000 down to 18,000 square feet and restaurant use from 10,669 down to 5200 square feet.

Several aspects of the plan remained unchanged.

Smith is still proposing to build four three story residential condominiums on the south end of the property. The change in height from four to three stories essentially resolves an earlier issue residents had over the proposed height of the structures and how they would fit in with the surrounding cityscape.

Plans for the north end of the site - the location of the former Wine and Spirits store and municipal parking lot - would also remain pretty much the same as before. The site would be redeveloped with a public piazza or town square area and two new buildings that would help frame the square.

One of the new buildings, located directly behind Starbucks, would have retail on the first floor and condos up above. The second new building would be located to the south of the square along the creek. It would have a restaurant use on the first floor and condos above.

“We’re trying to frame the piazza because we think it will make it look much more attractive,” said Smith.

The former Wine and Spirits store would be torn down to make way for the piazza and the new building.

The plan also includes the creation of a formalized Creek Walk beginning atthe Piazza at Centre Avenue and extending south. The walk would end at a proposed new pedestrian bridge connection at Carl Sedia Park.