King of Prussia District issues 2018 community report, presents awards

Source, Montco.Today, Stan Huskey

The King of Prussia District (KOP-BID) welcomed a sold-out crowd of industry leaders, elected and municipal officials and community partners to the Crown Plaza King of Prussia last week for the release of its 2018 Report to the Community, “Destination: Transformation,” and the presentation of the King of Prussia District Awards.

The report highlights King of Prussia’s growth and transformation as the region evolves to meet changing demographic preferences. With a variety of new businesses, multifamily developments and retail and dining establishments opening in King of Prussia (KOP) in 2017, KOP remains suburban Philadelphia’s largest commercial, industrial, retail and hospitality center.

“From the dozens of new restaurants and retailers that opened in KOP this year, to the crane-filled Village at Valley Forge and the near-weekly articles about companies and businesses moving to our community, it is such an exciting time to live, work and recreate in KOP,” said Eric Goldstein, King of Prussia District executive director.  “We are honored to work alongside the business community and our township and county leadership, and share the stories of your successes in this report each year.”

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of KOP retail, dining, tourism, hospitality, commercial real estate and housing sectors, and offers a glimpse into future development.

The 2018 award recipients are:

Leadership | The Honorable Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, MD, MPH, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, for her commitment to blending great economic planning and economic development with projects that promote and contribute to healthy and safe communities

Commercial Office | Vertex, Inc. for their 11-year, 168,000 SF lease – the largest in 2017 – which brought nearly 700 employees to KOP

Commercial Office | GeoBlue and Brandywine Realty Trust for the development and leasing of 933 First Avenue, KOP’s first ground-up commercial office building constructed in over 10 years, and the HQ of GeoBlue and its 400+ employees

Economic Development | Realen Properties for The Village at Valley Forge, one of the largest development projects in the Philadelphia region, expertly blending hundreds of thousands of SF of retail and restaurants with commercial office and multi-family residential developments

Transportation | Pasquale T. Deon, Sr., chair of SEPTA’s Board of Directors, for his advocacy and leadership regarding King of Prussia Rail

Hospitality | Sheraton Valley Forge for its consistent excellence in the hotel industry

Residential Property | Canvas Valley Forge & Bozzuto, Upper Merion’s first 55-plus residential community

Retailer of the Year | Founding Farmers – for choosing KOP for their first out-of-market restaurant

Community Outreach | Upper Merion Township Parks and Recreation Department for its support of KOP-BID’s KOP Beerfest Royale and Rock Your Lunch events, and Upper Merion Township Community Center Complex Advisory Committee for helping to guide design, construction and programming for one of the UMT’s greatest amenities.