Town Centre East Redevelopment

KEY ISSUES
• Identify ways to assist the physical and visual integration of the redevelopment, especially the parking components, with the historic character of the downtown and the borough.
• Evaluate design options for the interface between the Chestnut Avenue side of the redevelopment, the Merchantville Mile greenway, and the historic train station.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Redevelop two downtown sites – currently used primarily for surface parking – in a way that contributes positively to the economy and atmosphere of the borough’s historic center by providing much-needed parking and a well-designed mixture of commercial and residential spaces.

BACKGROUND
Situated in northwestern Camden County, six miles east of Philadelphia, the Borough of Merchantville is a mature urban community of 3,800 residents. The borough’s initial development was spurred by the arrival of the Camden and Burlington Railroad in the 1860s. By the time Merchantville was incorporated in 1874, it was a growing residential suburb of stately Victorian homes and a business district which served as the commercial hub for surrounding towns such as Pennsauken and Cherry Hill. Another round of residential development came after the completion of the Ben Franklin Bridge from Camden to Philadelphia in 1926.

For the past several decades, Merchantville has been built-out, with its 0.6 square miles fully blanketed by quiet residential streets and a lively commercial core. The borough’s population has held steady at approximately 4,000 residents since the Great Depression, indicating a general stability for most of the 20th century. In recent years, Merchantville has made considerable efforts to maintain and enhance the vitality of its neighborhoods, especially its downtown.

Streetscape and façade enhancements have improved the appearance of downtown streets, particularly Center Street, while a new senior housing development has brought life to a former lumber yard on Chestnut Avenue. Merchantville joined New Jersey’s Main Street program in 1995. Currently, the borough is focusing on the redevelopment of two adjacent sites in downtown Merchantville as part of its Merchantville Towne Centre East Redevelopment Plan.

At present, the sites are used primarily for surface parking and are seen as opportunities to add to downtown’s residential and commercial bases while expanding its parking capacity. By adding to the density of the business district and possibly attracting a major retail anchor tenant, the redevelopment is expected to enhance the downtown’s economy and regional profile.

RESOURCE TEAM RECOMMENDATIONS: The revitalization of the two sites identified by the
borough’s redevelopment plan (a triangular site used primarily for municipal and bank parking, and an adjacent parking lot owned – but rarely used – by Verizon) would serve to strengthen and reinforce what is already a vibrant and distinctive downtown. That being said, it is crucial that any redevelopment show sensitivity for the historic features and scale of the existing cityscape.

The triangular site (bounded by Park Avenue, Center Street, and the Merchantville Mile greenway along Chestnut Avenue) is rife with opportunities and challenges. A mixture of uses, including residential, commercial, civic, and parking, have been earmarked for the site within a new low-rise building. The most challenging design aspect of such a structure will be the treatment of its frontage along the Merchantville Mile and Chestnut Avenue, a stretch of downtown whose combination of green space, an historic railroad station, and Victorian mansions give it a unique character. As such, the façade along that side of any new structure must show careful contextual considerations: it should be exclusively residential with multiple layers and textures (possibly a Brownstone style) to match the visual interest provided by the ornate homes across the street. This residential frontage and additional landscaping should also screen parking facilities from view.

There are many possible configurations for a building on the triangular site. These include: maximizing the site through complete parcel coverage; creating small alleys or interior greenways connecting to the Merchantville Mile and Center Street; an L-shaped structure with the short leg and a small public square on Park Avenue; or an L-shaped structure with the short leg and a small public square on the Merchantville Mile. Whatever configuration takes place on the triangular site, development on the Verizon site across Park Avenue should occur at a reduced scale, with less bulk and height than its neighbor. The building should be limited to 2 or 3 stories with additional height being transferred, if possible, to the triangular site to add to its visibility. Along with structural design issues, circulation issues also contribute to the challenge of redevelopment.

By adding to downtown’s density and level of activity, development on these sites should serve as an impetus for solving the troubled intersection of Park and Chestnut avenues, possibly through the creation of a green square or round-about. The expansion of the Merchantville Mile to the east and the installation of a signaled bicycle crossing where the greenway crosses Center Street could naturally coincide with that project. To ensure that circulation issues correspond with good design, it is important that access to a new parking facility on the triangular site be limited to Park Avenue so that the character of Center Street and the greenway can be maintained.

The developer chosen by Merchantville's Borough Council for this redevelopment is AST Development Corp.

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