Work is officially starting on a long-awaited major development project in Monroe County. Smithfield Gateway will be located off of Exit 309 of Interstate 80. Over the next couple weeks demolition on the site of the former Mosier’s Dairy Farm will begin.
A massive retail, office and housing community will soon take over this land off of Route 209 in Smithfield Township. Developing the site of the former Mosier’s Dairy Farm has been in the works for 25 years. Now thanks to township, county, state and school officials all working together with the developers, Smithfield Gateway is finally happening. DEPG Development Manager Doug Olmstead says, “Jim Depetris and DEPG, after three years of our own planning, has the finish line in its sights.”
The permit for demolition of the existing structures is expected to be signed this week. Then a local contractor will have 90 days to complete the work.
But parts of the farm will be saved and repurposed like these beams will be used in the new community center in Middle Smithfield Township.
State Representative Rosemary Brown also had the idea to save the 1850’s farmhouse and convert it into a farm to table restaurant. Brown is happy to see the first stage of the project start because it will pave the way for over 12 million dollars of transportation infrastructure improvements on the site.
Brown adds, “This whole section which really is a very difficult intersection, it’s busy, it’s backs up often, is going to be greatly improved.”
Route 209 will be changed from two to five lanes. There will be a new loop road that will travel through the farm property to Route 447. Plus, intersections with traffic signals on both 209 and 447.
Olmstead says, “In conjunction of that which will take place over the next 18 to 24 months, concurrently, we’ll be working on development of the first phase which will be along the 209, and will be primarily retail but could also have a hotel and indoor office building.”
The project is expected to bring about one thousand jobs to the area and create much needed tax revenue.