The Shoppes at Belmont

The Shoppes at Belmont Manheim Township, Lancaster County, PA

Designing a Community Experience
The Shoppes at Belmont, a 372,100 SF mixed-use development, incorporates retail, residential, and recreational uses. The project features a main street lined with retail shops, restaurants, and a central green. The in-line commercial center includes four anchor tenants, with a residential neighborhood that includes 13 single family homes and 74 townhomes lining the site’s eastern boundary.

Maximizing Commercial Use and Space
At the start of the project, The Shoppes at Belmont site had limited undeveloped areas. As a result, the RGS team designed an approach to stormwater management that allowed the client to maximize the amount of leasable square footage throughout the property. The four-acre quarry that was central to the site was partially filled in and utilized for stormwater. While this required extensive permitting and approvals, it yielded enough square footage to allow for two additional large anchor tenant spaces. The portion of the quarry that was retained was transformed into a public amenity consisting of a walking trail and observation platform.

Creating a Sense of Place and Community Through Purposeful Design
The place-making design strategy at The Shoppes at Belmont centered on a main street design with shops oriented around physical retail and restaurant spaces allowing for greater social interaction among shoppers.

Pedestrian boulevards were strategically designed and placed throughout the site to ensure the connection of the main street to the large anchor stores. With over one mile of walking trails and sidewalks on-site, the Shoppes is a place to exercise while visiting and learning about the history-rich locations on-site.

Accommodating Future Development
An off-site property was used for stormwater management by utilizing a basin on the north side of Route 30. This basin will accommodate future development as well as maximize the currently developed area. RGS also reconfigured the existing floodplain to create space for the residential portion of the property.

The RGS team’s site master plan and thoughtful approach to place-making design helped create a modern, attractive retail space for the entire community to enjoy.

AWARDS

Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal – Best Engineering Project