Hi Angela, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on the proposed St. Charles project! Main Line Health is committed to preserving green space on the campus. Our proposed plans call for 72% of the existing green space to remain undeveloped and for the installation of 3 miles of walking trails. We look forward to making the property a community asset for all to enjoy. Plans include a large pedestrian plaza and an outdoor amphitheater as well.

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Hi Carolyn, thanks so much for your feedback regarding the proposed St. Charles project! Main Line Health appreciates your feedback and we too believe in a holistic approach to offering care for seniors. Be sure to stay subscribed for future updates about the St. Charles project!

Hi Deb, thank you for your comment! Main Line Health is glad to hear your continued enthusiasm for residential options for seniors. Although we are not at the appropriate stage in the project development to begin accepting deposits, be sure to stay subscribed for future project updates, including senior living opportunities.

Hi Nancy, thank you so much for your thoughts and support for the St. Charles project! Main Line Health is glad to hear about your interest in senior living opportunities; Main Line Health is committed to providing residential options for seniors and continuing to deliver exceptional, holistic care to all community members in Lower Merion Township. As we continue to solicit and implement community feedback, be sure to stay subscribed for future updates about the project!

Hi Grace, thanks so much for your comment and support for the proposed St. Charles project! Main Line Health is excited to continue servicing the entire Lower Merion community, especially seniors, with comprehensive, holistic care. We appreciate your feedback and will keep community partnerships in mind for the future. Be sure to stay subscribed for future updates about the project!

Hi Jessica, thank you for your feedback regarding the proposed St. Charles project. Main Line Health is glad to hear that your needs have been met thus far; the St. Charles project aims to ensure that all members of the community continue to receive exceptional, state of the art care that our current buildings cannot fully accommodate. Stay subscribed for future updates and announcements about the St. Charles project!

Hi Deb, thanks so much for your comment! We are glad to hear you are excited about a health and wellness village concept; Main Line Health is committed to providing holistic care and aging-in-place opportunities in the proposed St. Charles project. Please continue to stay subscribed to receive timely project updates and announcements!

Hi TP, thanks for your comment regarding the proposed St. Charles project. Main Line Health uses the term “village” to denote both a residential space paired with integrative health and wellbeing programs, and a space for community members to connect and maintain an active lifestyle. We appreciate your feedback and will continue to update our FAQ and Updates pages with more information!

Hi Sara, thank you so much for your interest in the St. Charles project! ​We plan to engage in active conversations with Lower Merion Township to better understand the housing needs of the community that could potentially be accommodated within this health and wellness village through our residential opportunities. Be sure to subscribe to our site for news and project updates!

Hi Deb, we’re so glad to hear about your interest in a health and wellness village in Lower Merion Township! Although we are still in the early stages of imagining this plan and its potential development, we are looking forward to providing residential options for seniors that allow for holistic, personalized care. Stay subscribed to the St. Charles website for the latest news and project updates!

Hi Mary Ann, thank you for your continued interest in Main Line Health’s proposed project. We appreciate your feedback as we strive to implement a plan that benefits the entire Lower Merion community. Our proposed project dedicates 78% (approximately 23 acres) of the campus to open and active space or non-vertically developed space. Additionally, we are looking to foster a sustainable, biodiverse environment on the campus by adding more trees and green spaces throughout the campus. Landscaping will also be utilized on the property boundaries to create natural boundaries and buffers.

We intend to preserve open spaces, respect community viewsheds, and finally, strengthen connectivity to the surrounding neighborhood.

Hi Meredith, thank you so much for your interest and support of our proposed project! We are glad to hear that you would support the needed construction to advance Main Line Health’s life-saving services, as well as creating a communal open space for Lower Merion Township and surrounding community residents to enjoy for years to come. Be sure to stay subscribed to our site for news and project updates!

Hi Lyne, thanks so much for your interest in our proposed St. Charles project. Main Line Health is continuing to look into ways to manage traffic and minimize density in the area. To reduce the traffic volume on Wynnewood Road and the number of potential cut throughs in the neighborhood, MLH has directed the design team and traffic consultant to evaluate the proposed ingresses/egresses on Wynnewood Road accordingly.

We will be working with our traffic consultant to determine whether we can also exclude the proposed new Bell Tower Road on City Avenue and still comply with all the local and state regulations. We want to ensure we are not putting unnecessary or additional burden on Wynnewood Road or the intersections such as Remington and Lancaster.

Your input is appreciated and we will continue to keep community feedback at the heart of our proposed project.

Hi Deb - Apologies if you did not see our previous response! It is still very early on in the process to commit to a specific date, but we intend to focus on senior living opportunities in the first phase of the project, approximately two years after the Seminary vacates the property in 2024. Main Line Health is committed to creating a variety of living spaces that support the entire Lower Merion community, with standalone villas, independent living in conjunction with assisted and memory care senior living spaces. The proposed operator of the Upper Campus senior living opportunity is also very much focused on creating an environment for the active baby boomer generation. We recommend subscribing to our page for updates on the project including the senior living opportunities.

Hi Deb - Thank you for reaching out again. It is still very early on in the process to commit to a specific date, but we intend to focus on senior living opportunities in the first phase of the project, approximately two years after the Seminary vacates the property in 2024. Main Line Health is committed to creating a variety of living spaces that support the over 55 community members, with standalone villas, independent living in conjunction with assisted and memory care senior living spaces. The proposed operator of the Upper Campus senior living opportunity is also very much focused on creating an environment for the active baby boomer generation. We recommend subscribing to our page for updates on the project including the senior living opportunities.

Hi Maureen, thank you for your interest in our proposed project! We have also heard interest from others who see this campus as a beautiful place to live. The proposed plan will offer many opportunities - whether renting or for sale opportunities that may meet your needs. Main Line Health is committed to creating a variety of living spaces that support the over 55 community members, with standalone villas, independent living in conjunction with assisted and memory care senior living spaces. The proposed operator of the Upper Campus senior living opportunity is also very much focused on creating an environment for the active baby boomer generation. In addition, MLH is also considering dedicating one of our proposed residential structures to a 55 and older community if it is needed beyond what is already planned and if the market shows the need. Please stay subscribed for further information and updates about senior residential spaces.

Hi Sonya, thanks for your question and interest in the proposed plan. We are continuing to solicit feedback from the community and appreciate your input. We are guided by the vision of enhancing the iconic and natural beauty of the St. Charles campus. We intend to preserve open spaces, respect community viewsheds, and strengthen connectivity to the surrounding neighborhood. These open spaces are intended to be both kid and dog friendly. At this time we are still working with the Township to consider various opportunities for recreational spaces and facilities on the property. Be sure to stay subscribed for future updates about the project.

Hi Mary Ann, thank you for sharing your thoughts on the proposed project. Our core vision for this project is to create a health and wellness village that serves to promote active living, care for an aging population, and expand the innovative care provided by Main Line Health. The existing infrastructure is not conducive, nor cost-effective, for providing medical care, and would likely require significant changes to the inside of these buildings which would negatively impact the internal beauty of these historical structures. Main Line Health is guided by the vision of enhancing the iconic and natural beauty of the St. Charles campus. In regards to your concerns about flood zones, the plan will comply with all stormwater management standards. As the plan progresses, the team will be engaged to bring our leading sustainability standards to the St. Charles property. Together, the partners will work in close collaboration with the Township to ensure sustainability is paramount to this project and have as our goal to go above and beyond what is required. Regarding your thoughts about a community park, we will certainly bring these ideas back to the Township Commissioners for their guidance, but at a minimum, through our proposed development, 78% (approximately 23 acres) of the campus will remain an open and active space or non-vertically developed space. Additionally, we intend to foster a sustainable and biodiverse environment on the campus by adding more trees and green spaces throughout the campus.

Hi Charles, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on the proposed project and potential uses. We are dedicated to preserving open green spaces to promote active living in the community. At this time, we are not proposing playing fields on the property but have heard from some in the community that there is a need for them in the Township. We will work with the Township Commissioners and Township Staff to determine if fields are appropriate on the property. Main Line Health is committed to exploring further ways to address traffic concerns in the area. Please be sure to stay subscribed for further updates about the project.

Hi Mary, thank you for reaching out again. As previously mentioned, we intend to collaborate with a senior living partner focused on the residents within the building and the community. Aspects of our plans rely on collaborating with outside experts and partners as they support what is economically needed to unlock the St. Charles property into a health and wellness village. ​We plan to engage in active conversations with Lower Merion Township to better understand the housing needs of the community that could potentially be accommodated within this health and wellness village through our residential opportunities. Affordable housing has many different meanings to many different people and differs from community to community, so we intend to work with the Township Commissioners on this topic to determine how this may be addressed in our plan.

Hi Lew, thanks so much for your feedback regarding the future of the religious buildings on the property. We intend to carefully respect the existing architecture and beauty by retaining as many of the significant historic resources as possible through adaptive reuse of the space. To be clear, there are no plans to demolish the St. Martin’s chapel. At this time, we are exploring different uses for St. Martin’s chapel and are open to input from the community.

Hi Sarah, we appreciate your feedback and concern regarding traffic and vehicle access along Wynnewood Avenue. At this time we are looking into new ways to address traffic with the proposed project. To reduce the traffic volume on Wynnewood Road and the number of potential cut throughs in the neighborhood, MLH has directed the design team and traffic consultant to evaluate the proposed ingresses/egresses on Wynnewood Road accordingly. The team is analyzing:
Limiting the left-most access to service the Senior Living in the Upper Campus
Removing the 2nd proposed access point on Wynnewood Road
Retaining the existing entrance to better serve the existing two buildings only.

Additionally, the team will evaluate a controlled access on the existing Wynnewood Road access point and new traffic circulation to minimize/eliminate the ability to have direct access between Wynnewood and Lancaster through the site.

We will be working with our traffic consultant to determine whether we can also exclude the proposed new Bell Tower Road on City Avenue and still comply with all the local and state regulations. We want to ensure we are not putting unnecessary or additional burden on Wynnewood Road or the intersections such as Remington and Lancaster.

Finally, in addition to the ample parking which is already planned both in garages and some surface parking throughout the site, MLH is willing to provide additional surface parking on the Northeast corner/side of the property to accommodate visitors to the site should the community wish to go that route.

Hi Ali, thanks for your feedback on the St. Charles project.

MLH has heard other concerns of the plan being ‘too much’ which we know also contributes to the concerns of traffic, noise, and stormwater management. MLH has instructed the design team to look for ways to reduce the density of the plan and relook at the number of residential units while still making the plan financially feasible given the amount of infrastructure needed to support the adaptive reuse of the two existing historic buildings. MLH is continuing discussions within their clinical and administrative teams to better articulate the planned MLH uses in the future. As an interim update, at least in the first two phases of the medical campus (i.e. in the next 10-15 years), approximately 50% will be planned for medical office space and services. The provider services will have a particular focus on needed and complementary senior services such as primary care for geriatrics, endocrinology, neurology, cardiology, and physical habilitation services. We will plan space for other services that generate lower traffic including education space for respiratory and nursing, sterile processing, sim labs, community programming, partner space, and administrative space.

Taking into consideration what concerns have been raised, the MLH team intends to bring forward proposed revised plans for community input. We appreciate your concern and are actively looking at opportunities to manage the density of this project while still enabling what is economically needed to unlock the St. Charles property into a health and wellness village.

James, thank you very much for your interest in the project. We are continuing to study the potential impacts to the surrounding communities from a variety of perspectives, which include stormwater runoff, traffic, and roadway improvements to name a few. Specific to traffic, currently there are no active conversations or plans that propose opening up additional access points around the Lankenau Medical Center campus. Please continue to stay updated about the project by subscribing to our updates.

Deb, Thank you for reaching out. We are glad to hear that this project and senior living resonates with you. It is still very early on in the process to commit to a specific date, but our intention is to focus on senior living opportunities in the first phase of the project, approximately two years after the Seminary vacates the property in 2024. We recommend subscribing to our page for updates on the project including updates on the senior living opportunities.

Rachel, Thank you for reaching out. We are glad to hear that this project and senior living resonates with you. It is still very early on in the process to commit to a specific date, but our intention is to focus on senior living opportunities in the first phase of the project, approximately two years after the Seminary vacates the property in 2024. Please continue to reference our page for updates on the project including senior living opportunities.

Mary, Thank you for reaching out. We are glad to hear that senior living resonates with you and we will make sure our alignment with a senior living partner focuses on the residents within the building and the community. Your feedback is appreciated, and we hope you will continue to stay updated as we incorporate feedback from the community.

Jessica, Thank you for reaching out. Main Line Health is still in the planning phases for this project. Now that the initial presentation of the concept plan for the health and wellness village has been communicated, Main Line Health will be scheduling discussions with the local civic associations and near neighbors to listen to their concerns and ideas, hopefully address them as they better articulate the vision and the drivers for Main Line Health to propose such a plan. Main Line Health intends to balance the needs of the community with the needs for future growth and stability as a healthcare organization for the years to come to better serve the community.

Thank you for your comment - we've shared this with the project team. We are looking at a variety of uses for the space based on community input - our health and wellness village will be open to the public and accessible to the wider Lower Merion township community.

Thank you for reaching out - We are exploring different uses for that space which supports our health and wellness village concept once the Chapel is decommissioned for that role by the Archdiocese.

Thank you for your comment. Our proposed concept plan includes senior living, condos, apartments, and townhomes.

Thank you for your interest in the senior living facilities and the future of this project. I have shared your contact information with the project team, who has it on file. I would also suggest subscribing to our site to stay updated as the project continues to advance.

Yes, part of phase 1 of the project would establish the necessary infrastructure to create the new/primary main entrance off Lancaster Avenue, across from Lankenau Drive. We will work with the Township and neighbors to develop a construction logistics and staging plan that will limit construction traffic to and from the site while directing it away from Wynnewood Road.

Except as absolutely necessary for initial utility/infrastructure set up, all construction traffic will be required to access the site through the new proposed entrances off Lancaster or City Avenue.

Hi Kathleen -

The private tour of the St. Charles property on May 20th 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. We anticipate tours will take approximately 45 to 60 minutes. We would suggest arriving no later than 5:00 p.m. to allow enough time to complete the tour. As we will be walking the property, please wear comfortable footwear. Parking will be available on-site. In the event of inclement weather, the private tour will be rescheduled to May 24 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

If interested in attending, please respond to me (Dan Alt, dalt@tierneyagency.com), and I will ensure you are added to the campus security list to gain access to the property. This will also help us plan for the appropriate number of tour groups so as to ensure everyone can clearly hear the commentary, and to allow for social distancing.

Please note, as part of the Seminary’s security protocols, all visitors on the site must be signed in. In order to meet these protocols, if you have not RSVP’ed in advance, we will need you to sign in upon entry to the campus.

Thank you,
Dan