Montgomery County · Lower Merion · MCPC #19-0096-003
Bala Plaza Phase 1 - Hotel
231 & 251 St Asaphs Road, Lower Merion, PA · 105,000 sq ft non-residential, mixed use · 61.32 acres
About this project
Bala Plaza Park, LLC proposes the first phase of a larger master plan on land east of One Bala at 231 and 251 St. Asaphs Road in Bala Cynwyd. It would include a 9-story, 168-room hotel of about 105,000 square feet with a restaurant, a 6-story parking garage for roughly 600 vehicles, and a linear public park with outdoor dining and landscaping. The phase also lays groundwork for site utilities and stormwater management, with access from the existing driveway at Decker Boulevard and St. Asaphs Road.
- Applicant
- Bala Plaza Park, LLC
- Engineer / rep.
- Nave Newell Engineering
- Zoning
- RCA
- Tax parcel
- 40-00-57132-00-5
- Cross street
- Belmont Avenue
- Approvals needed
- preliminary/final land development approval, amended master plan approval
Filing history
- 2025-05-15 · MCPC #19-0096-003 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan, Resubmission · 105,000 sq ft
- 2021-08-24 · MCPC #19-0096-002 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 757 homes · 989,329 sq ft
- 2019-04-18 · MCPC #19-0096-001 · Land Dev Plan, Sketch Plan · 1012 homes · 1,237,018 sq ft
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
Bala Plaza Park, LLC has proposed the first phase of a long-term redevelopment of the Bala Plaza office complex in Bala Cynwyd. The county filing describes a 9-story, 168-room hotel of about 105,000 square feet with a restaurant. It also includes a 6-story parking garage for roughly 600 cars and a linear public park with outdoor dining. The phase would also put in utilities and stormwater controls.
The site covers about 61 acres and now holds office towers. This phase would sit east of One Bala and use the existing driveway at Decker Boulevard and St. Asaphs Road.
Online coverage says Lower Merion Township approved a larger master plan for the site earlier, under the previous owner. That plan covers about 2.1 million square feet, including a hotel, offices, homes and shops. Reports from 2023 and 2024 say the current owners bought the property and plan to start with a hotel. They said the hotel brand had not been chosen and that work could begin within three to five years. No opposition coverage was found.
What it could mean nearby
- Access would use the existing Decker Boulevard and St. Asaphs Road driveway, so traffic effects depend on the hotel and the roughly 600-space garage.
- A linear public park with outdoor dining would add open space, according to the county summary.
- The hotel and restaurant would likely bring some new jobs and visitors, though no job counts were found.
- Utility and stormwater work are part of this phase, so drainage would be reviewed as part of the plans.
Where it stands
The county's latest filing is dated May 2025, which suggests the phase is in township review under the already-approved master plan. A decision on the phase's detailed plans would normally come next, followed by permits and construction. No final approval or construction start was found.
- May 15, 2025 Latest county filing for Phase 1 (hotel)
- May 28, 2024 Article reports the owners' redevelopment plans, with a hotel first
- Nov 2023 Bala Plaza sold for about $185 million to new owners who kept the redevelopment plan
Want to weigh in? Lower Merion Township's planning commission and Board of Commissioners usually review such plans at public meetings, and residents can comment there or by contacting the township.
Who's behind it
Bala Plaza Park, LLC · The project entity for the Bala Plaza owners; news reports say the owners are a New York family's firm, A&H Acquisitions, and FLD Group of New Jersey.
Around the web
- 'Sitting on a Gold Mine': Bala Plaza's New Owners Share Redevelopment PlansCity Ave District · May 28, 2024The new owners plan to build a hotel first within three to five years, under an existing township-approved master plan.
- New Owners of Bala Plaza Will Move Forward with Already Established Redevelopment PlanMontco Today · Nov 2023The 2023 sale came with the existing redevelopment plan, which the new owners said they would pursue.
Planning terms explained
- Master plan
- A long-range blueprint for how a large site may be redeveloped in stages.
- Phase 1
- The first stage of a multi-stage project.
- Stormwater management
- Systems that collect and slow rain runoff to reduce flooding and pollution.
- Mixed use
- A project combining different uses, such as hotel, restaurant, parking and park space.
Researched by AI from public sources on Nov 1, 2026. It can make mistakes, so check the linked sources and the municipality before relying on it.
Scope estimate for contractors
Estimated construction value: $27.3M
- ~116 roofing squares (assumes 9 stories)
- ~262 tons of cooling (rule of thumb 400 sq ft/ton)
- ~8.9 acres of site work (grading, stormwater, landscaping)
- Structured parking garage
- Hotel with restaurant and amenity space
- New interior roadway and temporary roadway connection
- Stormwater management with rain gardens and streetside rain garden wells
- Site utility infrastructure improvements
- Linear public park with landscaping and pedestrian walkways
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