Driving along the Carlisle Pike, you can see new buildings cropping up, along with bulldozers and for lease signs.

And theres more development slated for the Carlisle Pike, one of the most heavily traveled roads in the region.

From one end of the pike to the other, several shopping centers are sprouting up. At the Park Inn by Radisson Harrisburg West in Hampden Township, a 15-acre Beltway Towne Center is proposed with 11 stores.

On the western end of the road, Aldi is constructing a store due to open soon at site the former Fire Mountain Restaurant in Silver Spring Township. Nearby, a small shopping complex is planned for the area in front of Kohls with room for three retailers including Sleep Number and Supercuts.

Closer to Camp Hill, one developer is eyeing luxury apartments and one-bedroom studio houses with retail and restaurants around the Hampden Terminal.

Yet the Carlisle Pike is merely a snapshot of whats happening in Cumberland County. The countys population growth is fueling an injection of new retail and redevelopment. And its driving concerns over traffic and whether the area is growing too rapidly.

Its definitely a time of exciting prospects and opportunities for growth, said Cumberland County Commissioner Gary Eichelberger.

But he warned, "When you have growth at this clip, what you have is a danger of impacting the attractiveness that was the original magnet for the people. It has the prospect of detracting from the community.

The former Bon Ton in Lower Allen Township is being torn down to make way for a hotel. Nov. 15, 2019. Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com

Among the projects underway is the redevelopment of the vacant Bon-Ton and Borders stores in Lower Allen Township which will bring in a Springhill Suites by Marriott hotel and possibly shops and more restaurants to the area. In East Pennsboro Township, new restaurants, including First Watch, Starbucks and Olive Oil Grille, have opened at the Camp Hill Commons off of Erford Road.

A new Penn State Health acute care hospital is under construction off of Wertzville Road in Hampden Township, and new restaurants are slated to open in Camp Hill and the Capital City Mall in Lower Allen Township.

The area near Wertzville Road and Technology Parkway has been booming with development in the last several years, including the UPMC Pinnacle West Shore hospital, as well as new Weis Markets and Giant Food stores. With those bigger projects, an assortment of smaller tenants from Burger King to Supercuts have arrived as well.

Not all of the projects have been met with overwhelming support.

In Camp Hill, residents have voiced concerns over the Chick-fil-A proposing to put a store at the last, major undeveloped commercial crossroads in the borough. The Lemoyne Borough Council rejected a change in zoning to allow convenience stores in a certain section of the borough, which ultimately blocked a new 7-Eleven from opening.

With so much redevelopment underway, many Cumberland County residents are asking: Has the area reached critical mass?

I think its a good problem to have and probably something which we should be thankful for, but we are pushing ourselves to the limit," said Jennifer Hoover, a Camp Hill resident and an opponent of the Chick-fil-A project. We cant necessarily sustain what we have and continue to build new upon new."

An Aldi is being constructed on the Carlisle Pike in Mechanicsburg. Nov. 16, 2019. Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com

Growth fuels interest

Kirk Stoner, director of planning for Cumberland County, said the spurt of development isnt surprising.

I think we are seeing an uptick recently in economic development and I would say its related to our population growth, Stoner said.

Last year, Lebanon County had the biggest population spike in the state but overall in the past decade Cumberland has been the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania. Its population jumped 6.8 percent from 2010 to 251,423 residents, according to U.S Census data.

By comparison, neighboring Dauphin County, which is growing faster than many Pennsylvania counties, has seen a 3.3 percent bump since 2010. Dauphin still has more residents (277,090) than Cumberland.

What attracts residents? Stoner cited amenities like good schools, low taxes and crime, as well as proximity to such urban areas as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York.

We are holding our own, and when you have more people in a county, the private sector starts to take advantage, Stoner said.

Naturally, population-dense areas, such as the West Shore and Carlisle, witnessed the most economic development. In fact, Carlisle has been one of the leaders in recent years, Stoner said.

Twenty-eight out of 59 commercial building permits issued in the county in 2018 were dedicated to Carlisle, according to county data. The county seat, home to Dickinson College and the Army War College, has witnessed several new restaurant, hotel and retail openings, including several breweries.

Meanwhile, Hampden Township has also undergone extreme growth and been a hub of development, with a mix of single-family homes, apartments and townhomes, Stoner said. Just when it appears Hampden is done growing, another section is developed, he said.

One of the most drastic and eye-opening redevelopment projects on the Carlisle Pike happened after a former Kmart closed. The owner of the building turned the space into a Hobby Lobby, Steinmart, Marshalls and Homegoods, and a Metro Diner opened nearby as well. The stores opened in 2017 and 2018.

Eichelberger said they are witnessing phenomenal growth, all of it different. Some is happening in towns such as Mechanicsburg, where new retail stores are opening while traditional shopping centers are thriving. In addition, he said planned communities such as Arcona in Lower Allen Townshp and Legacy Park in Mechanicsburg are attracting more residents.

Jim Koury, CEO of RSR Realtors in Lemoyne, said that when retailers want to come to the Harrisburg area, many times one place stands out.

If you have a national retailer thats coming and they do all their demographics clearly theyre going to identify the Carlisle Pike as where they want to be, he said.

He added major retailers study demographics and traffic patterns when considering areas. Other factors such as income level also comes into play.

According to Census data, Cumberland County has one of the highest median income levels in the region. From 2013 to 2017, the average median income was $65,544, compared to $61,142 in Lancaster County and $57,071 in Dauphin County.

A solid economy and low unemployment rate are also driving economic development, said Thomas J. Mallios, president of Commercial Realty Group in Lemoyne.

Right now, things are moving along. The market is good right now and I hope it stays that way, he said.

He recently signed tenants to a new four-unit retail complex on the Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township. The center, constructed at the former Evergreen Chinese Restaurant near TGI Fridays, has signed on Dental, Dentures, and Implants; La Bella Sicilia; and The Lash Lounge.

The 1,700 square-foot La Bella is targeted to open in December and will showcase authentic Italian pastries, gelato, pizza and coffee. Everything about the bakery, from the cannoli to the lava rock tables, will be imported from Italy.

Co-owner Giampiero Faraone said the areas demographics, including a diverse population and higher income level of residents, appealed to them. Originally, they had eyed Florida but were not impressed. In the end, they settled on Cumberland County.

This area has many ethnic and multi cultures. They have been transplanted from many parts of the world. We want to share our experiences and products from far away that doesnt exist here, he said.

A rendering of what luxury apartment units proposed to be built behind the Hampden Terminal would look like.

Room for more?

You hear it all the time: Just what we need, another strip mall.

One concern is whether the volume of new retail can be sustained by the region.

Camp Hill residents have adamantly complained a proposed Chick-fil-A will create more traffic and safety issues in an already heavily-congested part of the county. The boroughs planning commission is scheduled to vote on Consolidated Properties final plan at its November meeting.

Developer Jonathan Bowser, a managing partner with Integrated Development Partners, LLC, in Wormleysburg, said the county is under-served by restaurants and demand exists for affordable housing.

His company proposed the Hampden Terminal project, which will transform a corner of the Carlisle Pike at St. Johns Church Road in Hampden Township.

Plans for the first phase - 120 luxury apartments behind the existing Hampden Terminal in the 400 block of Carlisle Pike - were submitted to the township several months ago. Meanwhile across the street, the second phase will include a mixed-use building with one-bedroom studio apartments and a mix of retail.

Its a prime corner. I may be biased but I think its one of the more attractive corners in the county. Theres just a lot happening, theres a lot of rooftops nearby, said Bowser, a former chief executive officer of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation.

He emphasized the site isnt attracting the same retailers as other projects in the county.

Ours is more of a neighborhood site, Bowser said, adding some of the other sites are courting national retailers.

While no leases have been signed for his project, he said there has been interest among restaurants and specialty stores to bring new concepts. Many see the demographics and growth and are attracted by the fact independent businesses like Cork & Fork Osteria and Ever Grain Brewing Co. are doing well, Bowser said.

Mason McClellan, director of real estate development at the Cumberland County Area Economic Development Corporation, doesnt feel like Cumberland County is missing anything when it comes to retail.

"I would say we're really well served along the spectrum of goods and services," he said.

But he notes that it does vary in different parts of the county, especially in the western part where there are fewer retail choices.

Gary Nalbandian, a principal and real estate agent at Lee & Associates -- and a developer -- said even while the Carlisle Pike may seem overcrowded with retail, its not like bigger cities where roads are overwhelmed with businesses.

"I think there is still room for specialized uses on the Carlisle Pike," Nalbandian said.

While the Harrisburg region is home to plenty of Giant, Weis, Karns stores, one segment missing on both sides of the river is a premium grocery store such as a Whole Foods or Trader Joes, he said. A Whole Foods opened last year in Lancaster County.

He said that complexes like the new Camp Hill Commons in East Pennsboro Township, which has a number of restaurants, are more common in other suburban areas. And he thinks that we will start to see more complexes like it.

PENNLIVE.COM

Staples, at right next to PetSmart, closed on March, 2018 at 5850 Carlisle Pike. The changing face of Carlisle PikeApril 3, 2019. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com

Why so many vacancies?

Spaces that once housed Staples, Ollies Bargain Outlet, Just Cabinets, Dicks Sporting Goods, Dress Barn and Toys R Us all sit vacant on the West Shore.

It can be puzzling why so many new stores are opening when there are a number of vacancies.

Some closings have more to do with how the business is operated, along with timing and location, experts say. A Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant that closed last year didnt fare well because it was set back off the Carlisle Pike, while the nearby Dukes Bar & Grill West, directly off the pike, is doing well, Bowser said.

A lot of the time you dont always understand the backdrop to why those storefronts are vacant. A lot of times there is a story behind it and the story isnt necessarily that the economy or community couldnt support it, Bowser said.

Directly across the Carlisle Pike from the proposed Beltway Towne Center is the Gateway Square shopping complex. Of its more than 25 storefronts, several are vacant, including a former GNC, Avenue store, Touch of Color Flooring and Grocery Outlet. Next year the number will climb to nine when Outback Steakhouse relocates to the Capital City Mall. And the number doesnt count the nearby Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant.

Gateway Square has always had a problem with vacancies because of how far back it sits off the Carlisle Pike, Nalbandian said. In addition, he said, it has never had a strong anchor store.

But with all the vacancies there is always a chance to bring in new tenants. He points to the Colonial Commons shopping center in Lower Paxton Township where they filled several vacant spots with new tenants including Hobby Lobby, HomeGoods and Tuesday Morning.

You always have a revolving door of restaurants and retailers reinventing themselves, Bowser said.

In some cases, retailers such as Ollies relocated to a more visible spot at the former Hhgregg along the Carlisle Pike.

Ashley Homestore, a 13,190-square-foot furniture store at 6484 Carlisle Pike in Silver Spring Township, is under contract, according to a real estate listing. The furniture store is planning to open in the old Dicks Sporting Goods.

Newer is better if they can get into a superior location, Koury said.

The future

Retailers will continue to eye Cumberland County. But the demographics dont suit all types of retail.

Some much-desired brands such as the Cheesecake Factory are looking for stronger demographics, close to 200,000 residents within a five-mile radius, Mallios said.

When it comes to growth, Nalbandian said Cumberland County might be on par with Dauphin County but the place where retailers show up first is Lancaster County. All of the retail starts in the big city, and Lancaster Countys close proximity to Philadelphia helps make it a popular place for retailers in central Pennsylvania, he said.

No matter what, planners like Stoner said municipalities have done a good job of maintaining a quality of life and not growing too rapidly.

He added Cumberland County is a tale of two counties, with the bulk of the growth happening on the eastern end while farmland preservation is a focus on the western side.

We recognize the impacts could last forever, so the onus is on us and our municipalities to mitigate those impacts the best we can, Eichelberger said.

He added the county has undergone significant growth for decades and it cant last forever. But he said the county and municipalities are looking to the future and managing the growth, including traffic.

We shouldnt be scared of growth, Bowser added.

In some parts of the state, he said school districts, municipalities and police are failing while drug issues plague towns. The reverse of development is stagnation, something Bowser said he views as undesirable.

I think when our communities grow it keeps us more solvent. Theres a lot of communities in Pennsylvania that would die for growth, Bowser said.

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As Cumberland County grows, a wave of restaurants, hotels and retail arrives - PennLive.com

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