By Jason Scott, Central Penn Business Journal
A much-anticipated shopping center in Manheim Township is on schedule to open in early 2018, according to the Lancaster County contractor leading the construction effort.
Tenant buildings in the Shoppes at Belmont on Fruitville Pike at Route 30 are expected to be done this fall, with fit-out work to follow over the winter. The center is slated to open in the first quarter of next year, said Steve Burridge of Ames Construction Inc., based in Ephrata.
Whole Foods will be the lead anchor at Belmont. The supermarket will be joined by Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Nordstrom Rack and Michaels.
In addition, leases have been signed for the “Main Street” portion of the center with Ulta Beauty, Rack Room Shoes, Lane Bryant, Carter’s and OshKosh B’gosh.
The center also will house Norman’s Hallmark, the largest Hallmark dealer on the East Coast, and Finch Jewelers, a local specialty and custom jeweler. There will be a Yealy Optical and state Fine Wine & Good Spirits Shoppe.
Dining options will include Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, Jersey’s Mike’s, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Chick-fil-A, MOD Pizza, Zoe’s Kitchen, The Pour House, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Starbucks.
“The weather was definitely on our side,” Burridge said of the mild conditions, which kept site work on schedule. Vertical construction has accelerated recently on the site. Weekly drone footage of the shopping center progress is available online, as Ames has hired 360 Tour Designs to document construction.
The Shoppes at Belmont project is one of the biggest projects in the history of Ames, Burridge said. The company, like many contractors, has seen its pipeline of construction projects pick up recently as the economy has continued to improve and developers look to take advantage of growing population trends.
Midstate counties have been among the fastest-growing in the commonwealth, along with parts of southeast Pennsylvania.
“We’re getting weekly calls to look at something else,” Burridge said. “The challenge is staying on top of stuff coming up. It’s an exciting challenge.”
The developer of Shoppes at Belmont is Lancaster County-based Manbel Devco. Partners include R.J. Waters & Associates and Charter Homes & Neighborhoods.
Charter is building the residential component of the center, which will include 74 townhouses and 13 single-family homes.