Bozzuto Transforms Former Industrial Site into Mixed-Use Urban Community

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorWyomissing, Pa.–The Bozzuto Group has broken ground at Wyomissing Square, a mixed-use development that includes the redevelopment of a former industrial warehouse into a mixed-use community with apartments, retail, office space and a hotel.Located in Wyomissing, five miles from the Reading Regional Airport, the community will be located within walking distance from cafés, restaurants and shops situated along the Penn Avenue Corridor.The 13.3-acre development features a 248-unit four-story apartment complex; 32,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space, and a 135-room Marriott Courtyard Hotel. Construction is expected to complete by early 2010.The apartment complex, an adaptive re-use of the existing industrial facility, is a joint-venture partnership with the USA Fund while the retail and restaurant space is being co-developed with the Brickstone Companies. The hotel will be developed in partnership with Rock Creek Hospitality“We recognized that the neighborhood needed a vibrant, mixed-use environment and are creating a community that provides this option for residents,” says Toby Bozzuto, executive vice president of Bozzuto Development Co. “We are building a project that respects the historic integrity of Wyomissing, while meeting the needs of today’s renters.”“This project is going to create jobs and have a significant economic impact throughout the region,” says Dennis Yablonsky, secretary of community and economic development,.Wyomissing Square has been recognized by the Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance and recently received $2.85 million in grants from the state of Pennsylvania for its contribution to the economic development and urban revitalization of the community.State Department of Environmental Protection Secretary, Kathleen A. McGinty, says, “Environmental challenges are leading to economic growth throughout Pennsylvania. We have the opportunity in Berks County to create a vibrant, productive site that promises to enhance the quality of life for the region’s residents by providing new opportunities for job creation and business development.”