Work begins on $90M 55+ community

A Berwyn-based developer of active senior communities began site work on its newest development, Traditions of America at Green Pond.

Site work has begun on the site near Green Pond Country Club in Bethlehem Township that will have 229 homes, said Jay Goldberg, vice president of sales and marketing for Traditions of America.

The community will be a mix of 171 single-family detached homes and 58 attached, he said.

So far, Traditions of America sold 35 units, he added.

The estimated total construction cost is between $80 million and $90 million and the project should be completely finished in four to five years, depending on sales and construction.

Before securing township approvals, the plan encountered challenges, mainly stemming from the presence of wetlands on the site.

“There’s a conservation area on the site and there’s quite an involved plan to preserve and maintain the area which has been an area that migratory birds are attracted to and that will continue,” Goldberg said.

Traditions of America will keep the area as close to its natural state as possible, he said, adding that the development would not affect that area.

“We hired a company called Princeton Hydraulics that designed the plan for that in conjunction with the township,” Goldberg said.

The development will have similar features to other Traditions of America gated communities, including a clubhouse, fitness center and outdoor pool, he said.

With its proximity to Green Pond Country Club, the site has attracted interest from golfers, he added.

“We choose our locations where there’s ample entertainment, shopping, retail, health care and also where there’s demand for such projects,” Goldberg said.

The demand is coming not only from people in the local area but also those interested in migrating from New Jersey, he said.

Traditions of America has built 22 communities for those 55 and older across Pennsylvania and delivered 3,700 homes, Goldberg said. It also recently expanded into other states and will have two new locations in Ohio and Virginia, Goldberg added.

Debby Skeans, managing director and senior advisor for SVN Imperial Realty of South Whitehall Township, was the exclusive agent in the $5.4 million sale of the excess land at Green Pond Country Club, according to a news release.