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Riverfront Royersford

Royersford, PA

 

The Riverfront at Royersford has been an evolving development, but strategic planning with the underlying goal of benefiting the entire community was always the singular objective. Besides the Lewis Group, there are currently several businesses operating in the waterfront development ranging from an aerospace engineering, corporate sustainability, environmental services and bowling supply company.

 

A view of the Lewis Environmental Operations center in 2003 before renovations.


Time to Move

In 2000, Lewis Environmental was running out of room in an 11,000 sf operations center in Parkerford, PA. They discovered a brownfield in nearby Royersford, PA—a sixteen+-acre parcel in the former industrial district also right on the Schuylkill River. The property included a dilapidated 64,000 sf building that was rehabilitated into an impressive mechanical facility for Lewis Environmental.

In 2003 the company purchased the adjoining parcel that included one of the the former Buckwalter Stove manufacturing facilities, a hulking structure whose roof was collapsing, windows were missing and all plumbing and electric was out of code.

After Lewis Environmental remediated the abandoned property—removing more than 15,000 yards of debris and prepared the site for rehabilitation—Lewis sandblasted the entire structure from top to bottom, stripping every beam, rebuilding the infrastructure and even installing a 5-stop elevator. A modern and impressive redesign included an open atrium and professional office space for multiple tenants.


The task of clearing nearly 6 acres of overgrowth, abandoned vehicles and buried debris was not an unusual challenge for Lewis Environmental.


Planning with Surprises

Land planning for the project included clearing acres of overgrowth and removing buried detritus including abandoned vehicles and even an old railroad tank car. “It’s not uncommon to discover railroad tankers in brownfields,” says Rick Lewis, president and CEO of the Lewis Group. “People would convert them to fuel tanks for buildings and bury them.”

Lewis Development completed and continues to manage the redevelopment of the entire riverfront project including everything from floodplain permitting determining multiple building envelopes.


An Evolving Community

The Riverfront at Royersford has been an evolving development, but strategic planning with the underlying goal of benefiting the entire community was always the singular objective. Besides the Lewis Group, there are currently several businesses operating in the waterfront development ranging from aerospace engineering, corporate sustainability, environmental services and bowling supply company.


Lewis Development, and the expertise they can deliver from their affiliated divisions—Lewis Environmental and Lewis Property Services—continues to plan for, and evolve, the riverfront property. A long-term strategy of a sophisticated mixed-use development with commercial anchors, and upscale retail and residential involves multiple partners and is poised to contribute to the revitalization of the community.

The Schuylkill River Greenways has been a proud supporter and partner in the Lewis Development Riverfront at Royersford project as it is a great example of incorporating the river and trail into the future of development in this region,” offers Elaine Schaefer, Executive Director of the Schuylkill River Greenways.

“We are so fortunate to have these incredible resources—a healthy river and a robust trail system,” adds Schaefer. “The Lewis Development project has recognized the significance and value of these features in their planning. The project serves as a great illustration of the benefit of working with a community to go beyond simply building bricks and mortar, but to help create a destination that elevates that community and brings positive health and economic benefits to the whole region.”

Future plans could potentially include waterfront restaurants and unique access to the Schuylkill River Trail with connections to nearby Phoenixville and Philadelphia. Discussions and active planning includes everything from shared meeting spaces and communal rooms to a riverside brewery and the rehabilitation of the old train trestle connecting Montgomery and Chester counties.

“Our goal is to fully maximize the available space,” adds Lewis. “It’s a very exciting project for the entire region.”


\Project Highlights

  • Complete asset management

  • Acquisition and land planning

  • Land studies and permitting

  • Remediation and waste removal

  • General contracting

  • Plumbing, electric and HVAC project management

  • Excavation & landscaping

  • Commercial build outs

  • Road planning, design and build

  • Best practices for planned growth and community benefit


\Project gallery


Transformative Redevelopment.

 



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