New Timeline Announced For Steeple View Project In Newtown

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — The Newtown Borough Council has announced a new timeline for the approval of the Steeple View redevelopment project.

With an extension of time for the project set to expire by the end of December, revised preliminary as final land development plans are scheduled to go before the planning commission at its Dec. 4 meeting.

Following that review, the plan is tentatively scheduled to go before the borough council at its Dec. 6 work session. A final vote could happen as early as the Tuesday, Dec. 12 council meeting. The council's other option is to grant an extension of time for project approval.

The project, which has been years in the making, will be the largest redevelopment project in the town's history. It includes the redevelopment of nine acres of land extending from Centre Avenue behind the Starbucks south to the former Stockburger property off of South State Street.

Envisioned by developer Allan Smith as a mixed-use community, the project includes a combination of residential, retail and restaurant uses. Over the years, Smith has also redeveloped the Brick Hotel, the Stocking Works, and the White Hall Hotel among other projects in town.

His current plan proposes the construction of seven new buildings.

• A three-story mixed-use building behind Starbucks with retail on the first floor and residential living units on the upper floors.
• A three-story mixed-use building next to Newtown Creek off of Centre Avenue and roughly in the location of the former Wine and Spirits store building. It would house a restaurant use on the first floor and residential living units on the upper floors.
• Four new three-story residential buildings at the southern end of the property.

The project also envisions a mixed-use retail and residential use building located to the south of the current Wine and Spirits Store on South State Street.

Under the current plan, the new building next to the Wine and Spirits store would be held in abeyance and used for public parking while the balance of the project is developed.

The proposed redevelopment will also feature several new public amenities:

• A public piazza located off of Centre Avenue along the creek. The piazza is envisioned as a community gathering place with outdoor tables, a fireplace element and a water feature.
• A new pedestrian bridge would cross over Newtown Creek between Newtown Borough and Newtown Township at Carl Sedia Park.
• A public walkway along the Newtown Creek from Centre Avenue south to the proposed pedestrian bridge.