New businesses, relocations, demolition plans: Here’s the latest at this central Pa. shopping center

Changes are happening at the Shops @ Rockvale in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County as plans are coming together for the shopping center to be transformed into a mixed-use community that will include retail and housing.

New additions at the shopping center will include:

• Kings Amish Furniture plans to open a 10,877-square-foot store in the former Lenox space. It will be the company’s third store. The store is expected to open in July.
• A Panera Bread is under construction at the shopping center and is set to open in the fall with a drive-thru and an outdoor seating area.

Relocations at the shopping center include:

• Lee Wrangler relocated to a new 12,154-square-foot space within the shopping center on April 27.
• Direct Tools expanded into a new 5,761-square-foot space within the shopping center on April 25.
• Rawlings relocated into a new 6,260-square-foot space within the shopping center on March 1. The new store has a batting cage.
• Maurices and Orvis previously relocated within the shopping center as well.

Shopping center owner, Fernmoor Homes’ redevelopment plan includes 504 apartments — 15 four-story buildings with 32 apartments each as well as one mixed-use building with commercial use on the first floor and 24 apartments on floors two to four. The buildings will include a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. The housing area will include a “Central Green” in the middle of a residential area as well as a clubhouse.

Fernmoor officials said they plan to tear down 267,000 square feet of retail space and replace it with multi-family residential apartment buildings and relocate retailers from the spaces that are set for demolition to the 268,000 square feet of existing retail buildings that will remain. Fernwood also plans to redevelop some of the commercial buildings as well. Bicycling and walking paths are planned throughout the property.

Demolition of part of the shopping center will begin this summer making way for a proposed residential community. Fernmoor Home’s Phase 1 of the residential community will include 128 luxury apartments across four buildings, known as Mi-Place @ Rockvale.

The shopping center is holding a grand opening block party from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 18 that will highlight the arrival of new tenants and relocations within the property. The grand opening block party will include food trucks, and activities like bounce houses, balloon artistry, face painting, and a scavenger hunt.

The Shops @ Rockvale is located at 35 S. Willowdale Drive.