Wegmans to anchor new Barley Mill Plaza development

Gregory Pettinaro on Tuesday presented on the latest redevelopment proposal for Barley Mill Plaza.

By Jon Hurdle
Contributing Writer

The Wegmans supermarket chain will anchor the new Barley Mill Plaza project at Greenville, developer Pettinaro announced on Tuesday.

Gregory Pettinaro said the chain will anchor the retail, office and residential complex at the intersection of Lancaster Pike and Route 141, a site where earlier development proposals sparked strong community opposition. This latest proposal appears to have the backing of most local residents.

“We have signed a lease with Wegmans and hope to turn over the pad in 2021,” Pettinaro told about 200 residents at a meeting in the A.I. Dupont High School. The announcement ended speculation about the identity of a high-end retailer for the new development, and prompted applause from the audience.

The supermarket will cover 114,000 square feet, and will be the centerpiece of the development that will total 464,000 square feet of retail and office space plus 33 townhomes and 80 flats.

The project, significantly smaller than a 2.8 million SF development first proposed by the site’s previous owner, Stoltz Real Estate Partners, was warmly welcomed by residents who repeatedly praised Pettinaro for the plan during the hour-long meeting.

He said the construction cost would be about $135 million, and the remade site will include 11 acres of green space. The Wegmans location is expected to take 12-15 months to build, and will employ about 400 people when it’s open, he said.

“In the next five years I would hope this whole project is 100 percent finished,” Pettinaro said.