SMYRNA — A 10-building, 270-unit apartment complex that would support a nearby shopping center is in the works, refreshing the landscape of U.S. Route 13.
The $2.5 million project is the latest addition to the Simon’s Corner Shopping Center near the Route 13 interchange that first took off in 2006. It has potential to stand out on Smyrna’s rental market, with plans for pocket parks, playgrounds and concrete pads for outdoor barbecues designed to build a sense of community.
Plans for Simon’s Corner Apartments show 10 three-story buildings with a mix of two- and three-bedroom units and 60 one-bedroom units facing the Aldi grocery store on South Dupont Boulevard. Other additions include a two-story community center and three parking garages.
Developer DSM Commercial and Smyrna town officials are finalizing the design of the complex, and since the project is zoned south corridor zone (SCZ), it will have a more modern and urban look.
“The concept here is to bring a style of what you would expect to see on our Main Street instead of what you expect in the suburbs,” Smyrna Senior Planner Jeremy J. Rothwell told the Delaware Business Times. “Like when you go to Newark, there’s high-density residential buildings, this is meant to achieve a downtown vibe as well.”
The 14 acres of land has sat vacant for years, as DSM Commercial has attempted to develop it as an expansion of the existing Simons Corner Shopping Center.
Back then, the vision was to build a Lowe’s Home Improvement, a sporting goods store and other retail options, according to town officials. But as the shopping center grew over time, plans changed around 2017 to include six apartment buildings with mixed-use development. That style rose in prominence over the years throughout the state with similar designs like the Reserve at South Ridge and the rising Village of Bayberry in Middletown.
Simon’s Shopping Center tenants include a Dollar General, Concord Pet, Anytime Fitness, U.S. Male barbershop, the Right Bottle liquor store, The Celtic Pub, Little Caesars Pizza and an Aldi nearby.
In 2018, DSM Commercial announced it was looking to bring Dos Locos, a Mexican restaurant founded in Rehoboth Beach, to Simon’s Corner Shopping Center although that has yet to open.
By Katie Tabeling
