As with the past several years, redevelopment has been one of the township’s driving issues
This year, Evesham Township saw many projects move off of papers and planning documents, and into their initial phases of demolition and construction.
In early January, Evesham lost one longtime landmark with the demolition of the K-Mart at the former Tri-Towne Plaza along Route 70.
In recent years, a majority of the plaza had been empty, with almost 180,000 square feet of buildings unused.
Throughout the year, work has been conducted over the land that was the former K-Mart, along with other work through about 80,000 square feet of retail that once housed businesses such as Subway, Super Fresh and Kobe Grill.
Ultimately, the former Tri-Towne Plaza is still set to transform into the Shoppes and Residences at Renaissance Square, a mixed-use redevelopment project.
So far, the planning board has granted final approval to Phase 1A of the project, which includes about 150 of the entire project’s more than 330 residential apartment units, and about 84,600 square feet of commercial property.
Redevelopment also moved forward in another part of town, when on June 7 demolition began on what was most commonly known as the “old bank building” along Main Street.
With the building empty for more than a decade, the space is set to become a multi-story complex featuring about 4,000 square feet of commercial space and 24 apartments, with 19 two-bedroom units and five one-bedroom units.
By focusing on redevelopment in downtown Marlton along Main Street, Evesham Township Manager Tom Czerniecki said at the time of the demolition that the work was just another piece of the township’s ongoing vision plan.
About a month later on nearby South Maple Avenue, the township held a groundbreaking ceremony for a complex of 55 market-rate apartments.
That complex, which sits across from the school district administration building, was also set to include a clubroom, fitness center and parking.
At that ceremony, Brown described the project as “another piece of the redevelopment puzzle” in Evesham.
“As council has continued to pledge to find a way to make the town more progressive, we continue to move forward as we go on and create a viable downtown that has walkability,” Brown said.
