Owners of the Barn Plaza shopping center that stretches along Easton Road in Doylestown Township intend to create a new look for the center that’s lost several tenants over the last couple of years.
As a highly anticipated Whole Foods Market prepares to open later this year, Bill Greimel, vice president of Brixmor Property Group, recently showed Doylestown Township Supervisors redevelopment plans for the property.
Brixmor, which owns and manages the Barn Plaza, plans to extend the Whole Foods facade the length of the center, including an adjoining new Barnes & Noble Booksellers, down to the Kohl’s department store at the southern end of the site.
“We’ve had a lot of turmoil but we’re going turn it into a lot of good news,” Greimel told the supervisors at the meeting. “We’re very excited to present the plan of what we’re looking to do with Barn Plaza.”
Additionally, Brixmor representatives will be asking the township’s zoning board for variances to redevelop the Applebee’s Grill + Bar and the Regal Barn Cinema, both of which closed in 2023, leaving major holes in the shopping plaza.
Greimel told officials both buildings would be demolished and replaced with retail stores and restaurants.
A multi-tenant use is planned for the former Applebee’s, where one yet-to-be-named business, with online ordering, would have a drive-thru, according to Greimel.
Three “upscale” buildings will replace the former movie theater, including a 7,600-square-foot medical office space, 24,000-square-feet of retail businesses and 9,000-square-feet of restaurant use, said Greimel.
"Our plans include creating a cohesive appearance throughout the shopping center and will feature wood and natural stone to achieve a consistent aesthetic. Additional access to Route 611 near the former theater will provide improved ingress and egress options for visitors,' said Maria Pace, a Brixmor spokesperson.
The zoning relief, said Greimel, is dimensional and won’t alter the existing shopping center use.
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