Newtown Square, PA — Equus Capital Partners, Ltd. celebrated the final phase of construction on Ellis Preserve, a 218-acre master planned mixed-use live, work, play community located in Newtown Square. The last phase of development includes The Village, a retail, dining, and lifestyle destination anchored by the AC Marriott Hotel and Ellis Mass Timber, the Philadelphia region’s first mass timber commercial real estate building.
Ellis Preserve is a mixed-use campus that blends the region’s premier office, retail, residential and community offerings with historical architecture, walkable outdoor trails, and unparalleled corporate amenities. Ellis Preserve is owned by Equus affiliates and has been in various phases of development since 2004.
Ellis Mass Timber
Nestled within the core of The Village at Ellis Preserve, Ellis Mass Timber is a five-story, 105,000 s/f commercial office space focused on sustainable practices. Mass timber is a naturally renewable and energy efficient alternative to traditional steel and concrete construction, reducing carbon emissions while storing carbon within the structure. In addition, the materials’ prefabricated panels and lighter weight reduce shipping and labor costs when compared to traditional construction methods. At Ellis Mass Timber, the process from groundbreaking to topping out took just 11 weeks. Regionally, Equus Capital Partners is the first and only company that is actively applying mass timber in commercial real estate.
Equus Capital Partners believes that Mass Timber is the future — not only for office space but for its tremendous applications in residential, medical, industrial and hospitality uses,” said Spaeder. “The engineered wood product offers a myriad of benefits – it is environmentally sustainable, visually and sensorially attractive, and ESG friendly.”
The Ellis Mass Timber construction team is comprised of IMC Construction (contractor), D2 Groups (architect) and O'Donnell & Naccarato (structural engineer).
The AC Marriott Hotel and The Ivy Conference Center are currently under construction as well. The Marriott is set to have 140 guest rooms including multiple suites and meeting rooms. The Ivy Conference Center, an 18,000 s/f banquet facility, is the latest offering from the Finley organization and will host its first event in September of 2024.
The Village will link all parts of Ellis Preserve in a cohesive network bringing office buildings, residential neighborhoods, dining, hotel, shopping destinations and amenity locations within walking distance.
Equus’ Milestones in 2023
In addition to The Village, the Equus team has celebrated other milestones this year including the opening of The Harrison at Madison Ellis Preserve in February. The Harrison offers resort-style living with 200 apartment homes and includes a pool, grilling stations, outdoor lounge space, a game room, a music room, nearly 300 parking spots, bicycle parking, a dog wash area and storage lockers. Additional benefits include several rooms that can be reserved to host a group gathering and a business center with private offices to accommodate work-from-home residents.
Also, under construction this year is The TOWNS at Newtown Walk, a mid-sized residential development of 66 urban-style townhomes. Developed by Rockwell Custom, the homes feature low-maintenance living, spacious owner’s suite with balcony, in-home elevators, rooftop terraces and custom finishes.