Concordia pitches $78M condo complex in Philadelphia suburb

A Maryland-based developer has proposed a $78.3 million, 52-unit condo complex in Wayne, Pennsylvania. 

Concordia Group is planning 60 West, which caters to the rising demand for high-end condominiums, particularly from affluent Main Line residents looking to downsize from their spacious family homes, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. 

The trend of million-dollar units has been on the rise in the area, responding to the shifting preferences of high-income buyers seeking low-maintenance living options. 

Prices would range from $1 million for smaller units to over $2 million for larger ones.

Developers anticipate a vote by the Radnor board of commissioners in February to determine if the project can proceed to its next stage. 

Concordia says the one-, two-, and three-bedroom units will be 1,100 to 3,100 square feet, alongside a 1,302-square-foot retail space on the ground floor along Bellevue Avenue.

The project proposes to repurpose a public parking lot at the base of the 250-foot AT&T facility, with AT&T agreeing to shift those spaces to its lot on West Avenue to preserve the public lot. 

Despite the economic prospects of support for local businesses, Wayne residents have raised concerns about potential impacts on parking and traffic congestion. The increasing number of luxury developments in the area, including Wayne 427 near the St. David’s SEPTA station, has fueled worries about the potential strain on existing infrastructure.

Others express reservations about the scale of the development. 

“It’s just too much,” Wayne resident Carol Burns said at one hearing, according to the outlet. “I don’t oppose having some residential area with nice stores underneath, but it’s just a monstrosity. It’s just too big for this area.”

The proposed relocation of the municipal parking lot to West Avenue has also sparked debate, with some fearing it may jeopardize other public spaces in the future.

Developers argue that the project, by bringing in new consumers to the township, will contribute to Wayne’s economic growth. Wayne’s business community, represented by figures like Ken Kearns, owner of 118 North and president of the Wayne Business Association, said such developments are integral to reinvigorating the local economy and supporting small businesses.

— Ted Glanzer