North Cornwall developer has big plans for 2019

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After breaking ground last year, the $158 million mixed-use town center — which spans nearly 150 acres at Cornwall and Rocherty roads in North Cornwall Township — has seen a lot of building activity.

Three dozen townhomes have been built by Manheim Township-based Kenneth Homes, with dozens more on the way. The shell of a 10,000-square-foot retail strip center also is nearing completion, with a local coffee house already committed to be the first tenant.

And more is coming by early 2019, said Jonathan Byler, president and CEO of Cornwall-based Byler Holdings LLC, one of the project’s developers. The other is Lancaster County-based Blackford Development Ltd. The two companies are developing the project under the name Springwood Development Partners.

“It feels great to actually see it come to fruition,” Byler said at a Dec. 12 ribbon-cutting for the retail building. “It’s been a long time coming.”

Early tenants

Ancestor Coffee House & Crepery, the first retail tenant, is expected to open by the spring in the retail center, which could house up to six tenants.

Byler said he expects to announce additional tenants this winter — potentially in January — including the hotel brand that will occupy the front pad, which has been approved for a 100-room hotel.

In addition to a hotel, the first phase of the five-phase project — first proposed in 2004 — will include two freestanding restaurants and two other pads that could be used for retail, office or commercial buildings.

The townhome plan calls for 160 units to be built within five years. Kenneth Homes may come in under that timeline, based on early demand.

The builder is starting on units 37 to 42 this month, with 27 sales already under its belt, according to Brian Gavin, the company’s general manager.

“We haven’t advertised at all yet,” he said, adding that he expects the commercial construction to come will boost residential sales activity by spring. “The other construction hasn’t helped yet, but it will. I expect a flurry of activity in the spring.”

The townhomes — which range from about 1,449 square feet to 1,736 square feet with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms per unit — start at $164,900. Buyer interest has come from as far east as Ephrata and west toward Hershey and Harrisburg, said Rachel Ingram, a Realtor with Re/Max Pinnacle, who is marketing the units.

Spring forward

Spring also is when the developer will start construction on a community building and pool for the townhomes.

Byler believes the first phase of the project will be built out within the next year or two. The next two phases will probably be developed over the next three to five years, he said.

The second phase calls for 11 office parcels. Construction on the first office building could start next summer. The plan calls for a three-story, 21,600-square-foot building.

Future phases of North Cornwall Commons are slated to include a mix of retail, multi-use buildings and potentially some light industrial tenants. The final two phases of the project are still in concept planning, Byler said.

Lemoyne-based Campbell Commercial Real Estate Inc. is the listing agent for the development.

When completed, North Cornwall Commons is expected to span both sides of Cornwall Road and add new buildings totaling about 500,000 square feet overall.

Byler said he expects full buildout of the development could take a decade. “We’re on schedule so far.”