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Dec 27, 2023

As Home Depot nears completion, more retailers, dining unveiled at new Lehigh Co. shopping center

A Home Depot store is nearing completion and an anticipated five more retail and

A Home Depot store is nearing completion and an anticipated five more retail and dining establishments are now expected to fill what will soon become the Macungie Crossing shopping center.

Shovels in November 2022 initially went in the ground for the 136,000-square-foot Home Depot building, 5877 Hamilton Blvd. in Lower Macungie Township. The store, once work is completed sometime this summer, will join these other regional Home Depot locations: in Bethlehem Township; Palmer Township; Whitehall; the Allentown area; and Greenwich Township, Warren County.

The 26-acre property sits in a prime retail corridor at Hamilton Boulevard (Route 222) and Grange Road. It's near the popular "The Shoppes at Trexler" and "Hamilton Crossings" shopping centers, as well as east of Movie Tavern Trexlertown and the Air Products headquarters.

New York-based RD Management, a national real estate development and management organization, is on track for the home improvement chain's anticipated summer opening, Nathan Jones, the township's director of community development, told lehighvalleylive.com Tuesday.

With Home Depot in place as the shopping center's anchor, RD Management this past week appeared before township commissioners seeking amended plan approval to add some smaller retailers to the mix. Plans show construction of a second building across the parking lot from the Home Depot building.

In total, Macungie Crossing is anticipated to encompass 182,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

The Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners on March 2 gave the thumbs up to the amended project. Plans last month additionally were recommended by the Lower Macungie Planning Commission.

The 26-acre Macungie Crossing sits in a prime retail corridor at Hamilton Boulevard (Route 222) and Grange Road. It's near the popular "The Shoppes at Trexler" and "Hamilton Crossings" shopping centers, as well as east of Movie Tavern Trexlertown and the Air Products headquarters. The new shopping center is set to be anchored by Home Depot and a handful of other smaller retailers and restaurants.

RD Management's website lists space for at least five new tenants to occupy the second building.

Future retail, restaurant and fast-food eateries at the center range from 3,000 to 20,000 square feet. There's currently space being planned for one 20,000-square-foot space; dual 10,000-square-foot spaces; and dual 3,000-square-foot spaces. Spaces, however, also can be suited to fit the needs of individual tenants, according to the website.

While tenants for the second building are yet to be identified, RD Management's renderings show a goal for at least two smaller retailers, either a third retailer or restaurant; and two fast-casual eateries. Jones said since the parcel is so expansive, there's future space if needed for even more businesses.

The new retail and dining sites and the Home Depot will share a parking lot that can fit 651 spaces. Six electric vehicle charging stations also are planned between the Home Depot building and second commercial building, Jones said.

Macungie Crossing, Jones said, will include double frontage on both Hamilton Boulevard and the interior of the site, with access gained from the interior. The side facing Hamilton Boulevard will have a façade similar to regular storefronts with canopies, signs, doors and façade enhancements, he said.

RD Management anticipates work on the second building to start sometime in late 2023 and prior to winter 2024, Jones said.

It's not a surprise RD Management unveiled plans for the additional retailers.

The shopping center for years was planned by RD Management to become a walkable, village-like atmosphere for patrons with smaller retailers and outdoor dining surrounding the Home Depot. Then applicant "RB Grange Road Associates" in 2007 received land development approval by the board of commissioners for the project.

The parcel later sat vacant for more than a decade at the shopping center with no work performed. It's unclear specifically why. An RD Management representative previously declined to provide details.

Jones said the project gained traction again in February 2022 when RD Management representatives appeared before planners with updates to the project. The developer utilized the township's 2019 zoning ordinance, which recalculated the project's parking requirements and allowed for shared parking in retail and commercial centers.

"This provided more space for build-out to allow for more buildings," Jones said.

The new Home Depot is expected to include an expansive garden center on the north end. Additions to the store now include stacked stone; multiple façade materials; and an additional storefront-style sign façade facing Hamilton Boulevard that will be visible from the street.

There’ll also will be new "dark sky friendly" lighting, meaning fixtures that minimize glare while reducing light trespass and skyglow, as well as LED parking lot lighting installed. Board members also have encouraged RD Management to install solar panels on the roof in the future.

"By utilizing the new zoning ordinance, the applicant was required to conform to the new zoning ordinance, which requires architectural standards for the township's design guidelines, as well as building placement and amenities, such as the outdoor patio," Jones said.

After breaking ground in November on the Home Depot building, Richard Birdoff, principal and president of RD Management, called the site a "great win for local community members." He also teased in a published news release about future plans for Macungie Crossing.

"It's also an important sign of what's to come at the center as we work diligently to bring additional opportunities for retailers and restaurants to join the market," he stated.

Founded in 1978, Atlanta, Georgia-based Home Depot is one of the largest home improvement retailers worldwide. The big-box retailer is known for one-stop shopping for tools, construction products, appliances, and services and geared for the "do-it-yourselfer." At the end of 2022, the company operated a total of 2,322 retail stores in all 50 states and overseas. The company employs about 475,000 workers, according to a recent news release.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at [email protected].

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