Acres of unused land in a quiet Pennsylvania suburb will become a massive community of 770 homes and businesses centered around a giant Whole Foods.
Project and community leaders broke ground on the epicenter of the $350million Broadcast District in Wyomissing, a borough of Spring Township in Berks County this month.
The new center will feature a 35,000sq ft Whole Foods, in addition to other retailers, services, and living spaces.
Whole Foods said in a statement to Daily Mail: ‘We look forward to serving the Wyomissing community with high-quality natural and organic products and an unparalleled grocery shopping experience.’
Besides the supermarket, the project will offer food options including Nothing Bundt Cakes, Shake Shack, First Watch, Ruth Chris, and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse.
Within the 120,000sq ft shopping center, MyEyeDr and European Wax Center have signed leases.
Homes will consist of 441 residential townhomes and single-family homes, and 341 apartments.
The transformation of the 100 acres of farmland was described by developers at the groundbreaking as the biggest investment by the county in decades.
The Broadcast District is being built in Wyomissing on this vacant plot of land
Project and community leaders in Berks County broke ground on the $350million development
The project is spearheaded by a partnership between Atlanta-based SJC Ventures and Washington DC-based Concordia Group
The project is spearheaded by a partnership between Atlanta-based SJC Ventures and Washington DC-based Concordia Group.
Devin Tuohey, co-managing partner of the Concordia Group, told the groundbreaking ceremony: ‘We were told this property is the crown jewel of the township and needed a development plan that reflected its status.
‘We believe that due to the collective efforts of our design team, the Broadcast District at Spring Township answered this call, and we will deliver the absolute highest quality mixed-use community in the region.
‘I think we’re 85 percent leased at this point, which is really good for the fact that we just broke ground.
‘The idea is to create a community.’
The new neighborhood will also link up to Penn State Berks (PSU) college and more than $2million will be injected into transportation in the area.
Broadcast District will have 2.5 acres of open greenspace which will include a dog park and a one-mile walking trail around the entire development.
Tuohey added: ‘We’re putting in a bunch of new infrastructure and safe pedestrian crossways from the PSU campus to our community.
Devin Tuohey, co-managing partner of the Concordia Group said 85 percent of the project has been leased
More than $2million will be invested in the area to improve transportation
Penn State Berks Chancellor, Radha Pyati, said: ‘Our campus community is thrilled that this retail development and housing will be built right across from us’
‘Our community is going to include a significant number of pedestrian trails, and our goal is to connect our trail system to PSU and then eventually through the PSU Berks campus to Gring’s Mill (recreation area).’
Penn State Berks Chancellor, Radha Pyati, said: ‘Our campus community is thrilled that this retail development and housing will be built right across from us.’
She backed the new community, saying it would be a great place for alumni, students, and faculty to enjoy its amenities for years to come.
George Stuck, the supervisor of Spring Township, emphasized to Berk Weekly how this influx of new businesses will benefit his town without having to sway established companies to leave their existing area.
Stuck told the outlet: ‘These are stores and restaurants that are brand new to this area. They’re not relocating from other parts of Berks County – they’re being added to the community. That means new opportunities, new jobs, and new reasons for people to visit Spring Township.’
The announcement received a mixed reaction from commenters online. While several loved the idea of new stores, others felt the field should have been left as it was.
One user wrote: ‘Yes!!! It’s about time for something exciting!! LOVE IT.’
However, others disagreed with one writing: ‘This is a horrible waste! Any job there would be low-paying! All I see in the future are empty buildings and parking lots!! Few in the area can afford these places!’
Construction is expected to begin next year. A rendering of what the Whole Foods will look like
Construction is due to start on the first quarter of 2026. The Whole Foods will be built first, with the rest of the housing scheduled for completion in fall 2027.
Daily Mail reached out to the Concordia Group and SJC Ventures for further comment.