Introduction
In 2020, the Chester County Planning Commission completed an initial analysis of nonresidential building square feet added from 2016 through 2019. In 2021, the second annual non-residential report was completed for 2020 data. This report is the third annual report, completed in 2022 for the 2021 calendar year.
When evaluating non-residential data, the Chester County Planning Commission acknowledges that non-residential data can vary drastically between years as it is a small data set and large projects will cause significant changes. Furthermore, there are too few years of available data to determine meaningful overarching trends at this time. This report provides an overview of current conditions, and subsequent reports will better portray trends, strengths, and challenges for non-residential development in the county as more time passes.
Both projects and new non-residential building square feet added increased from 2016 through 2018 before decreasing in 2019 and remaining consistent in 2020. This past year (2021) saw a slight decrease in projects but increase in new square feet. In 2021, a total of 36 projects were completed totaling 1,139,151 square feet. The average square feet per project increased significantly from 22,675 in 2020 to 31,643 in 2021. Institutional and commercial uses had the highest amount of new square feet added in 2021.
For the second year in a row, West Whiteland Township saw a significant number of projects completed in 2021 (three projects in 2021 and eight in 2020). Tredyffrin Township also had three new projects completed n 2021. West Chester Borough, West Whiteland Township, and Tredyffrin Township had the highest amount of total new non-residential square feet added, all with over 100,000 square feet. New Garden Township, Sadsbury Township, and West Whiteland Township had the highest number of commercial square feet. Valley Township, Oxford Borough, and the City of Coatesville had the highest number of industrial square feet. West Chester Borough, West Goshen Township, and Tredyffrin Township had the highest new institutional construction. Only West Fallowfield Township, Honey Brook Township, and East Nottingham Township had agricultural non-residential development completed in 2021.
Key Points
- New non-residential square feet increased slightly from 2020 to 2021.
- There was a total of 36 non residential projects, totaling 1,139,151 square feet in 2021.
- Institutional and commercial uses constituted the majority of new square feet added in 2021, for the second year in a row.
- Two new projects with over 100,000 square feet were constructed in 2021; The Commons at West Chester University, and The Springer commercial building located in New Garden Township.
- West Whiteland, West Goshen, and Tredyffrin townships had the highest cumulative number of non-residential projects built from 2016-2021.
- Tredyffrin, West Goshen, and East Whiteland townships had the highest cumulative amount of non-residential construction from 2016-2021.