Commencing construction?

By Max Orenstein
Senior Staff Writer
January 30, 2008

Construction on the Shoppes at La Salle commenced Jan. 28 in Good Shepherd Parking Lot, nearly three months after breaking ground last October. An advisory posted on the mylasalle portal last weekend indicated that several tasks would begin on that date, but as of yesterday there appeared to be little significant progress. However, university officials say the project is progressing as scheduled.

“[Visible construction will begin] very soon,” Bill De Vito, director of community and economic development at La Salle, said. “Heavy earth-moving equipment should be there by week’s end, beginning work closer to Church Lane...developers will look to move quickly.”

The advisory asserted that construction equipment would already be in place and that directional signage to alternate parking would be posted. It also said cars would be towed if they hadn’t been removed by Monday morning.

In addition to the missing equipment, no signs had been posted and six cars remained in the parking lot with yellow flyers on the windshields. However, a fence had been placed in front of the lot’s entrance, and another had been erected to separate the lot from Good Shepherd Hall.

De Vito indicated that one reason for the gap between breaking ground last October and the beginning of actual construction is due to some unforeseeable difficulties with the foundation upon which they planned to build. The earth-moving equipment is expected to correct these difficulties.

“There have [also] been a couple of missed dates in terms of construction,” De Vito said. “We’ve been a little loose with the developers.”

Robert Kroh, director of physical facilities, added to De Vito’s statement. He indicated the reason for the appearance of inactivity was due to ground surveys, storm-water management and city-zoning that needed to be completed before construction started.

“While you might not see holes dug in the ground and buildings going up, that doesn’t mean that work isn’t being done,” he said.

Emphasizing the misconception that La Salle is solely responsible for the project, Kroh indicated that co-developers Fresh Grocer and Moreland Development are in charge of construction. Referring to the situation as a landlord/tenant relationship, De Vito said La Salle is acting as landlord, allowing its tenant (the developers) to build on its land.

Another problem arose when a client pulled out of the project. According to Joe Donovan, director of marketing and communications, the developers were able to replace that client with Beneficial Savings Bank. However, the bank wanted a different location within the Shoppes, forcing the developers to go back to a zoning board. This process took a little over a month.

Despite these unforeseeable obstacles, La Salle officials are optimistic about the project. De Vito is confident that the project will be completed in about 10 months, just in time for a grand opening around Thanksgiving.

The Shoppes are still slated to include a Fresh Grocer, Rite-Aid, Beneficial Savings Bank, Starbucks, T-Mobile, America’s Best Eyewear and GameStop. According to La Salle’s Web site, the Shoppes at La Salle will measure about 50,000 square feet. $4 million in funding is coming from the state’s “Fresh Food Initiative,” a piece of legislation promoting the availability of fresh, healthy food options in impoverished and developing neighborhoods.

orensteinm1@lasalle.edu