Coatesville buys riverwalk property

The final nine acres needed for Coatesville's proposed riverwalk along the Brandywine Creek were acquired Tuesday from ISG for $129,000.

The land, commonly referred to as the Flats, runs along the west bank of the Brandywine Creek from West Lincoln Highway to north of the arched railroad bridge.

Last year the city bought the adjacent 17-acre G. O. Carlson site for $1.7 million. Now, the city owns all the property on the north side of West Lincoln Highway from Church Street east to the Brandywine Creek.

The city now is in the process of cleaning up the Carlson site before reselling it to Bart Blatstein of Tower Investments. Blastein plans to build a series of high-rise condominium towers on the site along with several restaurants along the Brandywine.

In a related development, the boarded up properties adjacent to the Coatesville Cultural Society are to be demolished March 3, according to Jean Krack, assistant city manager. The city Redevelopment Authority had awarded a $69,900 bid to demolish the three buildings at 129-133 E. Lincoln Highway. The redevelopment authority purchased the three buildings from the Cultural Society for $108,000.

Once the buildings are demolished, the city will negotiate the sale of the two lots to T. R. White Inc. of West Chester, the preferred developer for the site. The two buildings will feature eight apartments each on the top four floors and 6,000 square feet of retail or commercial space on the first floors. The project is estimated to cost $4.05 million.

You can write to Allen Davis at allen@chestercountyreporter.com