[CPEO-BIF] NEW MONTGOMERY COUNTY SHOPPING CENTER EMERGES FROM FORMER BROWNFIEL

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

For the Complete Press release go to:
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/newsreleases/default.asp?ID=533
   
NEW MONTGOMERY COUNTY SHOPPING CENTER EMERGES FROM FORMER BROWNFIELD
CONSHOHOCKEN 

(July 19) - On behalf of Gov. Tom Ridge, Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) Deputy Secretary for Air, Recycling and
Radiation Protection Denise Chamberlain today joined project developers and
local officials at a preview of the Metroplex Shopping Center -- a new, $85
million development project being built on an 80-acre former brownfield
site in Plymouth Meeting, Montgomery County.

The Goldenberg Group, a privately-owned real estate development company
based in Blue Bell, Montgomery County, performed approximately $1 million
of the $3.8 million environmental cleanup at the property. During
construction, The Goldenberg Group removed 750 tons of solid waste from the
property and relocated and capped non-hazardous material in designated areas.

The Goldenberg Group and Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate
Investment Trust (PREIT) are developing Metroplex to be a "power" shopping
center that soon will house 22 tenants in approximately 780,000 square feet
of retail space. Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse's 163,000-square foot
store is scheduled to open in August, followed by retailer Dick's Sporting
Goods. When completed, Metroplex is expected to employ 1,600.

At the request of DEP, Plymouth Township and Conshohocken Borough, The
Goldenberg Group incorporated a regional stormwater detention basin into
the project. With a capacity of over 1.6 million cubic feet of storage, the
developer spent more than $1 million to provide stormwater management for
the downstream community of Conshohocken. A second structure - a 1,560-foot
arched culvert - was also constructed on the property to address storm
water runoff in the Plymouth Creek watershed. 

Working with the Montgomery County Rails to Trails coordinator and PennDOT,
the developers built a 10-mile bike trail, which will eventually help
connect Valley Forge National Park with Bryn Athyn. Running from the
Schuylkill River under Ridge Pike and through the Metroplex property,
beneath Interstate 476 and onto Germantown Pike, the bike trail will
provide an outdoor recreational amenity for thousands of users, as well as
alternative access for employees.

Located near a gathering of major highways - Interstate 476, the
Pennsylvania Turnpike and Germantown Pike - the Metroplex property is
comprised of three former industrial sites. The site was last used as an
aerospace research and development lab until 1988. Prior to that, Kaiser
Refractories manufactured refractory brick for the area steel industry on a
portion of the site until 1985. Until the 1960s, the site was used for the
manufacture of magnesium carbonate/asbestos pipe insulation. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Deborah Fries
Community Relations Coordinator
Phone: (610) 832-6020
Email: fries.deborah@dep.state.pa.us 
John Gerdelmann
Community Relations Coordinator
Phone: (610) 832-6228
Email: gerdelmann.john@dep.state.pa.us

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