NEWARK – Newark Mayor, New Castle County Executive and many other officials and members from the business and local community on September 15 joined The Galman Group for a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the grand reopening of Thorn Flats, a luxury residential community that underwent millions of dollars in enhancements and renovations.
The Galman Group, a Jenkintown, Pa.-based real estate development and management company, invested millions of dollars in overhauling the multi-family property, located at 91 Thorn Lane in the College Park section of Newark. The investment is part of the $30 million commitment to renovating Thorn Flats and its sister property, Lehigh Flats.
“The city of Newark is a flourishing innovation hub led by University of Delaware’s growing STAR Campus, as well as Wilmington-based research institutions that are choosing to expand here. Offering a high-quality, best-in-class residential community is essential to supporting Newark’s evolution,” said Sam Goldstein, president of The Galman Group in a statement. “By adding 400 luxury apartments to Newark, Thorn Flats is another rung in the infrastructure ladder that helps cement Newark as a leader in the technology sector.”
“This is a red-letter day for the city and the county as we recognize all of the hard work through our combined partnerships,” said Newark Mary Jerry Clifton in a statemen. “This place [Thorn Flats] has blown it out of the water with the amenities.”
Improvements at Thorn Flats include redesigned floorplans, updated flooring, cabinetry, fixtures and appliances in living areas, and new bathrooms in all 400 units. Galman also renovated and upgraded the community common areas, which now feature a state-of-the-art fitness center; demonstration kitchen and coffee bar; Wi-Fi enabled Business Center with conference room; modern tech-enabled Crash Pad Video Game Room; game lounge with billiards, ping pong and shuffleboard; movie theater; the Bark Park & Pet Spa; and an expansive patio with a fire pit, grills and a sun deck that surrounds the resort-style swimming pool.
“There’s a need for quality housing across our county and in Newark,” said Matt Meyer, New Castle County Executive in a statemen. “It’s so important that we work together with the city and with places like Thorn Flats. It’s also important that we continue to work together on projects like this and work with private partners to make the investments so people can live in high-quality places.”
Prior to Galman’s $41 million acquisition of Thorn Flats and neighboring Lehigh Flats in May 2019, the then-Class B properties were in foreclosure and 75 percent vacant. Despite the pandemic-induced labor and supply chain challenges, Galman completed the massive repositioning of Thorn Flats on schedule – in part because of savvy planning that timed renovations with unit turnover. Lehigh Flats, located at 650 Lehigh Road, is also currently undergoing renovations to its 300 units.
A short walk from Dickey Park, Thorn Flats offers studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units with rental rates starting around $1,200, and its conveniences include on-site management and 24-hour emergency maintenance. For full details on amenities and leasing options, go to GalmanGroup.com. Other Galman Group properties in Newark are Buckingham Place Townhomes and Cooper’s Place.
In addition, the grand reopening ceremony included a donation of 200 smoke detectors provided by The Galman Group to the Aetna Hose & Hook Ladder Company that services the local community.
