Lou March Jr., the president of March Associates Construction, speaks during a recent groundbreaking for The Parke at Hamburg, a 50,000-square-foot retail center at 910 Hamburg Tpk. in Wayne — Courtesy: Briana Samman of March Associates
By Joshua Burd
March Associates Construction has broken ground on a new 50,000-square-foot retail center in Wayne, helping to redevelop a site along one of the town’s main thoroughfares.
The project, a rare self-development for the construction management firm, is already fully leased as work progresses at 910 Hamburg Tpk. Completion for what will be known as The Parke at Hamburg is slated for late next summer, with commitments from tenants that will include ULTA, Panera, The Paper Store and others.
“The property is for my family,” said Lou March Jr., the president of March Associates, whose firm is based in Wayne just minutes from the property. The company plans to own the center over the long term, he said, noting it also plans to stick to “our bread and butter” as a third-party contractor and is not planning any other development projects.
March Associates employees and executives joined local officials last week to mark the start of construction at the site, which is just west of Valley Road. Also on hand were members of the project team, which includes The Dietz Partnership and Menlo Engineering Associates.
R.J. Brunelli & Co. LLC serves as the center’s leasing agent, having also attracted tenants such as the Habit Burger Grill, Sport Clips and Everbrook Academy. Lakeland Bank is financing the project.
“This is a great property for development in the township of Wayne,” Mayor Christopher Vergano said. “It’s part of the revitalization of Hamburg Turnpike that’s going on now. You drive up and down and you see many projects that we needed — and this is a good one.”
Vergano also cited the importance of having a project by a locally owned, multigenerational firm that has been in the town for decades.
“They’re part of the fabric of our community,” he said. “They’ve always done great projects and we’re very happy to be here today.”
