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STANTEC | KING OF PRUSSIA DISTRICT
Executive Summary The King of Prussia District recently expanded its boundary to include the Renaissance Park, Discovery Labs, and the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) site. Renaissance Park, GSK and the Discovery Labs are somewhat disconnected from the larger King of Prussia District as a whole because of the separation created by the commuter rail tracks of the Norristown High Speed Line. However, it also has convenient access to the Hughes Park Station on that same rail line. This sub-district is primarily commercial and lighter industrial properties held by a limited number of property owners. Single family and multifamily residential properties border the area to the northwest along a two-lane road - Crooked Lane (SR3027). Heavy industrial properties to the east of the area were not included in the district’s expansion. Vehicular access is accommodated via Horizon Drive to Church Road from the North and Renaissance Boulevard’s connection south at Swedeland Road. The area is disconnected to the west, except for a newly constructed sidewalk beyond an existing cul-de-sac at the western extent of Renaissance Boulevard, giving pedestrians access to the Hughes Park Station.
A PowerPoint presentation was created and presented including topics such as existing zoning, land-use, and discussions of potential public realm and private property improvements addressing placemaking, increased connectivity, diversifying land-use mix, and increasing amenity. Two engagement sessions were conducted: one with public agencies and officials from Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County & SEPTA, and a second workshop with businesses and property owners.
Buildings in the area are mostly large-footprint, one-to-four-story, single-use structures with significant setbacks and large surface parking lots that include modest landscaping. Trees and landscaping areas are relatively mature given the age of the development, yet from the street there is still a lack of place and identity. Building addresses are identified on modest, nondescript monument signs with limited landscaping adding to the overall lack of identity.
Following the engagement workshop with property owners and business owners, a second survey instrument was created using SurveyMonkey to receive additional input from tenants and employees who work in Renaissance Park, GSK or the Discovery Labs. This survey focused on transportation access and amenities to better understand: travel routes to the area; use of public transportation; parking availability; walking or biking to work; desire for additional amenities such as parks and open space, daycare, and proximity to additional restaurants and convenience retail. Results from the survey are presented separately in Appendix B. Where appropriate, responses are included in the action plan matrix following this executive summary
The two-way roadway system consists of very wide streets, with large turning radii at intersections and access drives, giving the district a “car-centric” identity. A comprehensive pedestrian sidewalk system does not exist as sidewalks and marked crosswalks are relatively limited. Viewing aerial photography, the area seems over parked. However, upon touring the area, there are some places where cars now park in the street, indicating a spatial mismatch between parking and destination. The roadway system is wide enough to accommodate on street parking throughout. Renaissance Park, GSK and the Discovery Labs have not yet realized their fullest potential. Market forces are evolving. Property owners, as well as tenants and their workers, want more mobility options and access to restaurants, retail, recreation, and other conveniences. The King of Prussia District retained Stantec to lead the King of Prussia District through a stakeholder engagement effort with commercial and industrial property owners, business tenants, employees, public agencies and neighboring residents that have an interest in the future of this commercial district in King of Prussia.
Three Phases of Tasks Phase 1 - Opportunities and Issues Identification The project began with a work session of King of Prussia District staff closest to the day-to-day interactions with developers, property owners, and residents. Stantec facilitated a discussion of the current state of Renaissance Park, GSK, and the Discovery Labs, and what the future can potentially hold for the area moving forward. Stantec guided the group through an exercise highlighting what topics, policies, procedures, programs, and regulations could be explored, sustained, launched, and released.
Phase 2 - Visioning Process This phase of work began with a client check-in meeting with the King of Prussia District to go over the input in Phase 1 and to work together to develop initial visioning questions with the King of Prussia District. We then focused on engagement with three main audiences - (1) businesses and property owners, (2) public agencies and officials from Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County & SEPTA, and (3) immediate neighborhood groups who may have interest in the process.
A survey instrument was created for Stakeholder Input using SurveyMonkey. This was done to receive additional input on the ideas presented and determine support for future implementation of those ideas. The survey focused questions around responses from the survey are included in the action plan matrix following this executive summary, and results from the survey are presented separately in Appendix A.
An additional survey instrument was created to receive input from neighborhood groups who live near the sub-district to get their input on many of the ideas discussed during the engagement workshops with public agencies, property owners and business owners. Results from the survey are presented separately in Appendix C.
Phase 3 - Draft Vision: Ideas and Actions Stantec planners developed alternative ideas and actions for the future based on a synthesis of themes, strategies, and outcomes from Phase 2 feedback. Following this summary are pages of annotated graphics of the ideas and actions presented during Phase 1 and 2, treatment diagrams that illustrate those idea over a sub-district maps , and an action plan matrix describing possible interventions, next steps, collaborations to move forward, and budget level costs.
