110 Park Avenue Condo Project To Be Unveiled at October 20 Planning Meeting
Publishers’ Note
October 13, 2021: Some have suggested that this article was a paid placement. The only paid content we run in the paper is in the form of advertisements, both traditional and classified. If we ever decide to run an “advertorial” (paid content that resembles an article), we’ll clearly identify it as such. Our decision to position the article on the front page reflects a desire to keep real estate development in the Ville “front and center,” since so many in our community are interested in the topic. The content of this article was derived from a direct interview with the developers and follow-up materials provided by W.S. Cumby, which was substantially edited by our staff prior to publication. The article highlights the developers' extensive community service to Swarthmore over the years as contextual background rather than as an endorsement of the project.
Artist rendering of the proposed 36-unit condominium building at 110 Park Ave.
Bill Cumby and his building firm W.S. Cumby, in partnership with Don Delson, both longtime residents of Swarthmore, are seeking approval to build a five-story, 36-unit condominium building at 110 Park Avenue. The building will contain a mix of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom residences, a few bi-level garden residences, and ground floor retail spaces along Park Avenue. The plan calls for an open-concept design, 9-foot ceilings, private terraces, and enough private, covered parking for up to two cars per residence. A rooftop deck would offer a view of Swarthmore College, Borough Hall, and the surrounding community. The plan is designed to comply with all current zoning-code guidelines.
The proposed new building is envisioned as a continuation of the plan for a revitalized Town Center that the Borough laid out 20 years ago in consultation with a town planner, after months of work and the input of several hundred residents. So far, that effort has resulted in the construction of Lincoln Way, the new Co-op building, the Chester Road roundabout, and the Inn at Swarthmore.
The area for the proposed condominium building, across from Swarthmore Borough Hall.
As a continuation of this effort, ten years ago, the Borough Council adopted a planning-commission recommendation to re-zone the Town Center for mixed-use development in order to bring more residents into the Town Center and provide more support for Swarthmore’s businesses. The proposed new building would be the first mixed-use development of the type envisioned by the revitalization plan since the Town Center was re-zoned.
The plan calls for 110 Park to be designed and built sustainably, and to include a “green” roof, energy efficiencies throughout, and electric car charging stations. W. S. Cumby has built dozens of eco-friendly buildings over the years, and its own office was the first LEED-certified building in the Delaware Valley. Cumby and Delson were also the developers of 10 townhomes on Dartmouth Avenue in Swarthmore twenty years ago.
Cumby and Delson and their families have long been involved in the life of the Swarthmore community. Cumby and his wife have given support to the Swarthmore Recreation Association, the Swarthmore Swim Club, the predecessor to the Swarthmore Town Center, the Centennial Foundation, and Borough Government. Delson has served on Borough Council, the Wallingford Swarthmore School District’s school board, the Swarthmore Swim Club board, and the Swarthmore Co-op board, and he co-owned The Swarthmorean newspaper for nearly 30 years.
During the construction of 110 Park, two highly valued retail stores at 102 Park Avenue would have to be closed [see Harvey Oak Mercantile proprietor Shannon Elliott’s opinion piece from the September 12th issue referencing this]. To mitigate the impact on those stores’ owners, W.S. Cumby has offered them the opportunity to purchase retail space in the new building before it goes on the market, and to assist them during the period they would be displaced.
Many potential buyers—including a number of longtime Swarthmore and Wallingford residents—have already expressed interest in purchasing units in the proposed building. The builders expect that many of the units would be pre-sold before construction begins.
Cumby and Delson will present the initial plans for this project to Swarthmore’s Planning Commission at 7:30 on Wednesday, October 20. They look forward to receiving feedback from the community and expect to revise the plan to incorporate suggestions before submitting it for final approval.
