The current state of downtown Berwyn’s long-running eyesore, across from Handel’s Ice Cream, Berwyn Farmer’s Market, and, to the west at Woodside Ave., Parlor Doughnuts, which opened in June..
Alas, a light at the end of a long, tortured tunnel in Berwyn.
That big, fat patch of U-G-L-Y in the heart of the village is going bye-bye — and a three-story, mixed-use complex with more than 100 apartments and ground-floor retail will soon rise from the cyclone-fenced rubble.
Like it or lump it, it’s been a long time coming.
Developer Jason Dempsey, of DP Partners Group, bought the approved “Berwyn Square” project in the fall of 2021, then sat on it.
For nearly five years.
Whether he was awaiting cheaper financing, a friendlier economy, or simply a buyer to offload the project to, Dempsey wasn’t saying — those were the whispers from multiple sources. Without offering details or a timetable, Dempsey has always told SAVVY that he intends to move forward with the project.
In the last several weeks, the site has been prepped for construction: the remaining ramshackle buildings were demolished and hauled away, and heavy machinery — along with a water tanker for dust control — now sits inside fencing cloaked with a dark screen to shield the view from passersby. A few mature trees still stand sentry; no doubt, they’ll be history soon.
Once Dempsey officially records his plans with Chester County, the project should be clear to start construction in earnest. No stranger to town, Dempsey also built “The Fritz” apartments at the former Fritz Lumber site up the street, and developed the nearby lifestyle retail center, The Grove, in Great Valley.
Three of the four buildings that were razed in mid-August to make way for a ground-up retail/apartment complex: at far left, an office building, Handel’s Ice Cream’s original location, and at far right, a vacant strip center.
We couldn’t find a zoning variance application on file, which suggests Dempsey intends to build the project largely as Easttown officials approved it — not a revised version. Easttown Township Manager Don Curley recommended we speak directly with the developer for clarification and a construction timeline. Our voicemail and emails to Dempsey were not immediately returned.
Locals will recall that Berwyn Square has been bumpy from the start. The original plan called for a new Handel’s with a gathering plaza, four stories and 126 units. But that version collapsed under a wall of opposition from “Save Easttown” residents, who objected to the proposal’s density and appearance. Two years later, developers Pohlig and Cornerstone Tracy came back with a scaled-down plan — the top floor gone, 19 units shaved off, a more traditional roofline — and that’s what got approved.
A rendering of the Berwyn Square project at Lancaster and Midland avenues presented to Easttown supervisors in the summer of 2021.
Not long after, Pohlig/Cornerstone Tracy sold the approved project to Dempsey.
With the project in limbo, Handel’s successfully relocated across the street to Bronze Plaza.
Easttown Township, meanwhile, codified maximum density caps for its downtown business district — a huge win for the Save Easttown coalition. Developers can now install no more than 16 units per acre; the original Berwyn Square proposal would have packed in 80.
One new rumor worth killing now: Handel’s is not moving back. Owner Buck Buchanan tells SAVVY the shop is staying put across the street for good.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a developing story and will be updated as details become available.)
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