Wegmans still on track for 2015

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Despite the harsh winter weather that delayed the beginning of work for the new Wegmans store in Concord Township, the project is still on track for its Thanksgiving 2015 opening. It might even be ahead of schedule.

According to Peter Miller, the president of Carlino Construction — the developer of the project — the store could be ready for business in September or October of next year.

“It should be open in 12 to 15 months,” Miller said.

When Concord and Chadds Ford Township supervisors gave their final approval for the plan in January, Miller said he wanted to start the site work this February. However, Mother Nature had other ideas.

But the site work has begun. Trees and stumps are being removed now and Miller said he hopes to have the pad ready for the construction of the supermarket this September.

Drillers install a monitoring well as part of the procedure for cleaning up a dry cleaner's chemical that got into the soil and ground water along the Chadds Ford side of the Wegmans development.
Drillers install a monitoring well as part of the procedure for cleaning up a dry cleaner's chemical that got into the soil and ground water along the Chadds Ford side of the Wegmans development.

A variety of construction will take place simultaneously shortly after that. Not only will the actual store be under construction, but work will also begin on the southeast section of the loop road, and at Brandywine Summit Center along Route 202 in Chadds Ford.

The loop road segment would be from Applied Card Way on Route 1 in Concord and curve through the property to connect with Route 202 across from Hillman Drive in Chadds ford.

Within the next few weeks, the old Sovereign Bank building and the dry cleaners should be demolished. Miller said the Vietnam Memorial would first be fenced off to avoid damage, then be moved into another building for safe keeping. It will then be moved to another site before it’s moved to the permanent location within the green area on the Chadds Ford side of the project site.

Some of the other businesses in Brandywine Summit were to remain open according to the original idea, but Miller said that changed when it became obvious that it would be too disruptive and dangerous for them to remain open during the roadwork for the loop road. Some of the businesses have already moved. Others — such as the dentist’s office  — are still open, but will move within a few weeks or another month.

“We wanted them to be safe,” Miller said.

In addition to the site work in Concord, the ground contamination from the dry cleaners is being addressed. As reported earlier this year, tetrachloroethylene — or TCE as it is also known — is a cancer-causing chemical used in the dry cleaning industry. Some of the chemical was found in the soil and ground water near the shop. The developer is working with the state department of Environmental Protection to clean up the contamination.

Monitoring wells are being installed as part of the procedure and Miller said 1,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil would be removed.

The development will also bring public water to the property as part of the refurbishing of the Brandywine Summit Center, and also to at least one other property, Comfort Homes, on the other side of Route 202, Miller said.

(Top photo: Businesses have to leave the Brandywine Summit Center for safety reasons before work can start on the loop road.)

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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