Oct 25, 2002 By Steve Ostrosky 4 min read

FRANKLIN TWP. – The anchor tenant for a 115-acre retail development just off Interstate 79 could be open by mid-2004, according to the developer. The township supervisors got their first look at early plans for that development during a meeting with the developers Thursday morning. One of the key tenants under consideration is Wal-Mart.

DeBartolo Property Group and McHolme Development Corp. have worked with Greene County commission chairman Dave Coder and Leroy Kline, president of Delta Development Group, to develop the county-owned property.

Robert McGurk, senior vice president of development for DeBartolo, said that preliminary plans are being fine-tuned and discussions are ongoing with several possible tenants for the development.

McGurk, joined Thursday by Norman McHolme of McHolme Development, said negotiations are under way with utility companies, especially in relation to an Equitrans gas line that travels directly through the area under consideration.

McGurk said that at least one possible tenant has asked the developers to bring back a financial proposal that could lead to a commitment for at least one of two proposed anchor stores. Wal-Mart has been associated with the retail development since its inception, but McGurk said no specific names will be released until a formal commitment is made.

“We hope the numbers can shake out,” he said. “There are a lot of costs associated with the site, and we hope to find a middle ground that is satisfactory to them and us.”

He said the developers have made much progress and crossed several important hurdles, including traffic studies and preliminary site work, but more needs to happen before the Jan. 18 expiration date of the option agreement.

Supervisor Chairman T. Reed Kiger asked about traffic flow and counts from the proposed site, which would be accessed via an extension of Kiwi Road from Route 21 to Rolling Meadows Road at the intersection with Garards Fort Road. McGurk said the county has been successful in getting federal highway dollars for the Kiwi Road construction, while Kline lobbied last year to include funding for traffic signals at the northbound and southbound ramps of Interstate 79 into the state Department of Transportation’s 12-year plan.

McGurk said along with the new road, Route 21 would have to be widened and some turning lanes would have to be installed, but neither of those issues should hinder any development. He said PennDOT would be responsible for the road maintenance and traffic signals along Kiwi Road and at the intersection of Kiwi Road and Route 21.

Earlier this year, the county commissioners approved a real estate purchase option agreement with the developers to find tenants for the shopping center. Once tenants have officially committed to the project, the developers will purchase the property at $5,800 an acre, according to the agreement.

Other smaller stores and restaurants are also a part of the site plan, but McGurk said many of those companies will come on board once a major tenant has committed.

McGurk said if all requirements are met and a deal is reached, six months of site preparation work could begin early next year and the first anchor could be open by spring or summer of 2004.

The supervisors and directors in the Central Greene School District will have to agree on the financing package for the development, but McGurk said discussions about that aspect are still premature. He said he plans to meet with the supervisors and the township engineer again once more progress has been made.

“This is a great project and we are very excited about it,” he said. “We would love to find another anchor to go along with our large anchor, but at this point we don’t see anything that’s a deal killer.”

Coder said later Thursday he was pleased the developers were able to meet with the supervisors and said the work he has put in to make the development a reality may finally pay off.

“I am certainly glad they seem to be progressing at a quick pace,” Coder said.