A proposed five-story professional office building on Washington Avenue still has to secure local government approval, but if all goes according to plan, Gopal Center could open its doors in early 2019.
Construction on the 22,000 square feet building at 625 Washington Avenue could begin in spring 2018 and last six to twelve months, said project spokesperson Christian Deutsch.
Gopal’s principal investor is Dr. Bhola Roy, a local physician who plans to move his practice into the new building.
Most of the other tenants are expected to be physicians as well, said Heather Knuth of Integrity Design, the project’s architectural firm.
Bridgeville’s zoning laws require that buildings of this size include an off-street loading dock, but the zoning hearing board last week granted an exemption, provided that Gopal Center not include retail stores or restaurants.
Although there was previously talk of the building including an underground parking garage, the current plan is to rely on public parking.
The latest rendering of Gopal Center’s exterior has changed significantly since illustrations were first revealed at a borough council meeting in late 2015. Initial plans called for a sleek, modern, glass and metal exterior that resembled a five-story Apple Store. While that might have been a bold new look for Bridgeville, not all in the borough are ready for such dramatic change. The new exterior is more in harmony with the buildings that are already on Washington Avenue.
In terms of government approval, the next step the team behind Gopal will be to assemble a site plan which will be reviewed by the borough planning commission.