Cheltenham Township’s Zoning Hearing Board has granted a one-year extension to JOSS Realty, a New York City firm which owns Pitcairn Place at 165 Township Line Road, Jenkintown, for a development plan which is a few years in the making.
The plan, which dates back to 2017 when JOSS first purchased One and Two Pitcairn Place for $12.1 million, includes a three-level structure for offices and limited retail use, along with a 5,385 sf building for retail and/or restaurant use, a 105-space underground parking garage and surface parking for up to 63 vehicles.
In April 2022, the Zoning Hearing Board approved variances for JOSS’ proposal to allow for modified development of the two Class A office buildings.
“The board rejected some variances and accepted others,” Henry Sekawungu, Director of Zoning and Planning, said.
According to Sekawungu, JOSS is also considering converting the existing offices in the back of Pitcairn into residential spaces as part of the continuance request.
The township has not received an official plan for that project, Sekawungu said.
“It was casually mentioned during our last meeting, and that was the first we heard of it. I think their challenge is filling the office space, which is a challenge across the country as remote working has really taken off,” he said.
6,509 sf are available for lease at One Pitcairn Place, and 5,596 – 16,325 sf are available for lease at Two Pitcairn Place. As of 2017, the buildings’ offices were currently 99 percent occupied, according to a JOSS press release.
As far as the one-year extension goes, JOSS has until May 3, 2025 to proceed with a land development application, Sekawungu said.
JKRP Architects, a Philadelphia firm, is heading up the project. The Philadelphia firm is responsible for the changes at Green Leaf at Cheltenham and Chelten Plaza.
The property’s listing can be found here. For more on the project, you can read the Cheltenham Chamber of Citizens’ commentary here.
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Renderings: CCC | Photos: commercialcafe.com