More than 100 people, including borough, county, and state officials, attended the event at the Colonial Theatre, as members of PPG and its consultants walked the audience through the plans for development of the 123-acre property using the theater's big screen to display the concepts.
Although numbers have been thrown about in regard to the estimated cost of the project, ranging from $240 to $300 million , PPG facilitator John MacPhee has said the estimated cost of the project depends on additional funding for infrastructure improvements.
"We're proposing $12 million in traffic and infrastructure improvements, $3 million in sewer and water improvements, and $2 million for the trail system," MacPhee said."There's no way a private developer could do that alone without some help."
As primary developers of the property, PPG, with some hoped-for government funding, plans to rectify any environmental concerns on the site and develop the property and then possibly market and sell portions of the property to other developers.
"We're expecting the funding to be there," PPG co-partner Walter Logan said. "We've already put millions of dollars into the site and we're committed to its success."
ArchPlan architect, based in Baltimore, and PPG consultant Klaus H. Philipsen highlighted the five primary areas of development for the steel site property, including the planned town center, which is intended to be the land between Gay and Main streets and include the foundry and the proposed Schuylkill Valley Metro Station.
Three other primary areas, Philipsen said, will be the new retail development leading from across the foundry to the superintendents' building, additional residential units along a proposed extension of Vanderslice street, and corporate apartments on the eastern portion of the property near the bluffs.
"This is the most interesting project I have been involved in since 1975," Philipsen said. "The vacant steel site property will serve as the new heart of the community.We can't sprawl forever and one of the ways to combat sprawl is to take over brownfields (former industrial sites). (Phoenixville) already has the infrastructure as well as the water here with the French Creek and the Schuylkill, which is always an interest for developers, as well as the bluffs and the historic downtown."
However, Philipsen said, the primary economic engine for the development of the steel site property will be the construction of new offices, which is expected to create roughly 5,000 new jobs in the borough.
"It has become a trend across the country that developers want to put their offices where workers, during their lunch break, can walk out and look over the water or stroll down to Bridge Street to shop at the retails stores or visit a restaurant," Philipsen said. "We plan to maintain the traditional character and scale of the property and build the offices to face French Creek, with retail stores on the first floor. But there is a high cost of infrastructure improvements which will require public funding.
" Of 123 acres, 65 acres will be left as open space for the trail system and for the proposed French Creek Parkway, which is expected to serve as a spine road through the property. The road would be located north of the creek and run through the property.
After the presentation, MacPhee opened the floor to the public for questions and comments.
Tredyffrin resident Tom Cooper expressed concern about the light rail system SEPTA is proposing for the Schuylkill Valley Metro System. "
The light rail has not been designed yet except in the minds of a few SEPTA engineers," Cooper said. "And it couldn't operate until they get approval from Philadelphia to travel on their street, which could take 10 years to develop. A commuter rail would cost less money because the rails are already there and only take about two years to develop."
PPG environmental consultant Jonathan Rinde said some of the environmental issues surrounding the property require an accurate study of the environmental hazards, under the state ACT II provisions. When asked about who would be responsible if hazards were found on the property after it was developed, Rinde said the owners of the property at that time and whoever put the hazards there would be responsible.
According to Logan, the Phoenix Property Group's objective is to start construction by April 1, 2001. And while much depends on the market conditions and demand and the approval process with state and federal agencies, he hopes to have occupancy at the former steel site by 2002, with the expectation that the Schuylkill Valley Metro will be up and running by 2006.