Bethel Park Council will hold a public hearing May 18 on a proposal to rezone land connected to the Cool Springs Sports Complex for a proposed retail center, carriage homes and other uses.

The municipality sold about 16 acres to Penn Cove Group Capital, owners of Cool Springs, for $350,000 in 2013. The property is off Baptist Road between the Cool Springs Sports Complex and Millennium Park.

Penn Cove has proposed changing the zoning from residential to a category that would allow commercial and residential development. Council could consider a vote on the rezoning in June.

Tara Friedl, chief of staff for Penn Cove, said the company proposes to develop a shopping plaza, 22 carriage homes and a senior living complex on the site. The Cool Springs complex totals 55 acres.

David Memo, construction and development director for Penn Cove, told council last week that the company originally believed an underground gas line prohibited construction on the site. He said officials since have discovered the line is abandoned.

Friedl said they didn't know the line was inactive until after they purchased the property from the municipality. The company looked at ways to build up to or around the line until finding it was not in use.

“Luck was in our corner, when it was all said and done,” she said.

Friedl said a new four-way intersection crossing Baptist Road will provide an entrance to the development, as well as to a Lowe's Home Improvement store across Baptist.

She said Penn Cove has partnered with developers for the carriage homes and senior living complex, but could not disclose the names.

Friedl said the company anticipates little lag time in starting the project — if the rezoning is approved.

“All of the partners we have worked with have moved at a fast pace,” she said.

Friedl said construction on other features of the Cool Springs Sports Complex also is moving along with the indoor sports center expected to open in the fall. The indoor center is to have basketball and volleyball courts, a gym, a FIFA regulation-sized soccer field and a sports-medicine center operated in partnership with Allegheny Health Network.

Penn Cove bought the financially faltering Cool Springs driving range for $1.33 million in 2013, and has been revamping and expanding it since then.

 

triblive.com

Report Abuse