Montgomery County · Towamencin · MCPC #22-0097-003
Shops at Town Square
FORTY FOOT ROAD & ALLENTOWN ROAD, Towamencin, PA · 20,837 sq ft non-residential, retail · 52.11 acres
About this project
Shops at Town Square is a retail development with approximately 21,000 square feet of commercial space on 7.76 acres at the corner of Forty Foot Road and Allentown Road in Towamencin. The project includes fast-food and sit-down restaurants, a bank, and retail stores as part of a larger shopping village redevelopment. The site features stormwater management including a rain garden and bioretention basin.
County planning commission: Supports, with comments
Issues raised: Stormwater bioretention basin design and naturalization, Emergency spillway capacity for heavy storms, Landscaping tree coverage balance on both sides of driveway, PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit coordination, Pedestrian access connectivity to parks and neighborhoods, Signage compliance with zoning requirements
- Applicant
- Philadelphia Suburban Development Corporation
- Engineer / rep.
- Bohler Engineering PA, LLC
- Zoning
- ELO
- Approvals needed
- Conditional Use approval, Highway Occupancy Permit
Filing history
- 2026-07-16 · MCPC #22-0097-003 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan, Resubmission · 20,837 sq ft
- 2024-12-27 · MCPC #22-0097-002 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 20,837 sq ft
- 2022-04-05 · MCPC #22-0097-001 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 362 sq ft
County review letters
2024-12-27 · TOWAM 22-0097-002r.pdf
2026-07-16 · TOWAM 22-0097-003r.pdf
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
Shops at Town Square is a retail and restaurant project at the corner of Forty Foot Road and Allentown Road in Towamencin Township. County records describe about 21,000 square feet of new commercial space on roughly 7.76 acres. The mix includes fast-food and sit-down restaurants, a bank, and retail stores. The county's overall acreage figure of 52.11 acres appears to cover the wider Town Square area.
The site is part of a larger effort to redo the old Towamencin Shopping Center as a walkable town-center-style "village." The developer first showed that concept to the township supervisors in 2019. Leasing listings now describe a renovated center that already includes a bank, a fast-food restaurant, a gym and a Chipotle. The listings also mention proposed additional buildings and pad sites.
The plans include a rain garden and a bioretention basin. These are planted, low-lying areas that soak up and filter rainwater runoff. No opposition or recent hearing coverage was found online.
What it could mean nearby
- Traffic: a leasing listing says a new traffic signal is under construction at the Forty Foot Road entrance. It would be the center's second signalized entrance.
- Jobs and services: the new restaurants, bank and shops would add places to eat, shop and work close to existing homes.
- Stormwater: the rain garden and bioretention basin are meant to manage runoff from the new buildings and paved areas on site.
Where it stands
The latest county filing is dated July 2026, which suggests the project is in township and county plan review or the later stages of it. After approvals, the next steps are usually permits, then construction, then tenant openings. Parts of the center already appear to be open.
- Jul 16, 2026 Latest county planning filing for the project
- 2022 Township planning documents list a Shops at Town Square supermarket land development plan for review
- Oct 2019 The developer presented its redevelopment concept for the old Towamencin Shopping Center to the township supervisors
Want to weigh in? The Towamencin Township Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors review land development plans at public meetings. Residents can comment at those meetings or by contacting the township.
Who's behind it
Philadelphia Suburban Development Corporation · A suburban Philadelphia developer behind the broader Towamencin Town Square mixed-use area, which includes retail, residential and other uses. Bohler Engineering is the engineering firm on the county filing.
Around the web
- Shops at Town Square 1758 Allentown RdCBREA leasing listing for the renovated center. It lists current and proposed spaces and pads, and notes a new traffic signal under construction at the Forty Foot Road entrance.
- Developers present plans to reinvent Towamencin shopping centerPatch · Oct 28, 2019Reports the developer's 2019 presentation of a town-center redevelopment of the old shopping center, with restaurants and small businesses.
Planning terms explained
- Land development plan
- The detailed site plan a township reviews for new buildings, parking, roads and utilities before it allows construction.
- Bioretention basin
- A shallow planted basin that collects rainwater runoff from pavement and lets it soak in slowly.
- Rain garden
- A small landscaped dip with plants that absorbs and filters stormwater.
- Pad site
- A separate lot within a shopping center, usually for a stand-alone building such as a bank or restaurant.
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: $4.6M
- ~208 roofing squares (assumes 1 story)
- ~52 tons of cooling (rule of thumb 400 sq ft/ton)
- ~7.8 acres of site work (grading, stormwater, landscaping)
- Naturalized rain garden with bioretention basin and emergency spillway
- Shared parking easement with adjacent shopping center
- Pedestrian pathway and connectivity improvements
- Enhanced landscape plantings with native trees and shrubs
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