Montgomery County · Whitemarsh · MCPC #24-0235-001
Gemma Services- Whitemarsh Campus
5168 & 5200 Butler Pike, Whitemarsh, PA · 28,150 sq ft non-residential, school · 20.7 acres
About this project
Gemma Services plans to move its private K-12 school, Martin Luther School, onto the Butler Pike site in Whitemarsh. The existing office building will be converted into classrooms with a two-story gymnasium addition, and the old rodeo grounds and several outbuildings will be demolished to make room for a large synthetic turf athletic field with a track, bleachers and a field house, plus new driveway and parking work.
County planning commission: Supports, with comments
Issues raised: Existing surface parking lots do not meet off-street parking design standards, Missing landscape islands in parking lots, Missing 10 ft planting strip for lots over 30 spaces, No pedestrian safety measures separating walkers from vehicles, No shade trees planned inside parking lot interiors, Inconsistent with Whitemarsh Township's 2028 residential-character land use vision
- Applicant
- Gemma Services
- Zoning
- CLI
- Approvals needed
- preliminary/final land development approval
- Demolition
- Several out-buildings and the former Lulu Temple rodeo area and grounds
Filing history
- 2024-10-29 · MCPC #24-0235-001 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 28,150 sq ft
County review letters
2024-10-29 · WHITE 24-0235-001r.pdf
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
Gemma Services, a nonprofit that serves children and families, plans to move its private K-12 Martin Luther School to a 20.7-acre site at 5168 and 5200 Butler Pike in Whitemarsh Township. The school serves students who need emotional and behavioral support. The county filing describes an existing office building that would be converted into classrooms.
The plans add a two-story gymnasium onto that building, about 28,150 square feet of non-residential space in total. The old rodeo grounds and several outbuildings would be torn down. In their place would go a large synthetic turf athletic field with a track, bleachers and a field house, plus new driveway and parking work.
An Inquirer article from May 2025 says the site was the former headquarters of a medical research institute. It reports a purchase price of $13.9 million in December 2024 and a campus cost of about $52 million. It describes roughly 350 students and a move targeted for 2026. No opposition was found in the sources reviewed.
What it could mean nearby
- Student drop-off and pickup, plus game-day visitors, could add traffic on Butler Pike; the new driveway and parking work suggest access changes.
- The reported enrollment of about 350 students and the school staff would be a steady daily presence at the site.
- The old rodeo grounds would become a turf field with a track and bleachers, so the site would see more organized athletic use and possibly lighting or event activity.
Where it stands
A land development filing was last updated with the county on 2024-10-29. No township approval record for this project was found online, so the current approval status is unconfirmed. Typical next steps are review by the township planning commission and supervisors, then permits and construction.
- May 2025 The Inquirer reported the planned $52 million campus and a targeted 2026 move.
- Dec 2024 Gemma Services reportedly bought the Butler Pike property for $13.9 million.
- Oct 29, 2024 Latest county planning filing for the project.
Want to weigh in? The Whitemarsh Township planning commission and board of supervisors usually review school land development plans, and residents can comment at their public meetings listed on the township website.
Who's behind it
Gemma Services · A nonprofit formed in 2019 that serves more than 3,000 youth and families a year in Greater Philadelphia and runs the Martin Luther School.
Around the web
- Martin Luther School moving to new Montgomery County campusThe Philadelphia Inquirer · May 13, 2025Reports the $13.9 million purchase, the roughly $52 million campus plan, about 350 students and a targeted 2026 move.
Planning terms explained
- Land development
- A formal township review of plans for new buildings, additions, parking and site changes.
- Demolition
- Tearing down existing buildings, here the rodeo grounds and outbuildings.
- Field house
- A small building at an athletic field for restrooms, storage or changing rooms.
- Conditional use
- A use the zoning code allows only after the township supervisors hold a hearing and may add conditions.
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: $9.9M
- ~140 roofing squares (assumes 2 stories)
- ~70 tons of cooling (rule of thumb 400 sq ft/ton)
- ~6.0 acres of site work (grading, stormwater, landscaping)
- Synthetic turf multipurpose field with track, bleachers and field house
- Gymnasium addition with playground and basketball courts
- Renovation of existing office building for school use
- New driveway connecting two existing parking lots and one-way loop lane
- Re-striping, lighting and improvements to existing parking lots
- Stormwater management facilities
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