Phase II adds 96 apartments to the 19-acre luxury apartment community in Chester County
EXTON, PA — Hankin Group has begun construction on Phase II of Keva Flats, which includes one of Chester County’s first floodplain restoration projects and the addition of 96 apartments to the 242-unit, 19-acre luxury apartment community in Exton, Pennsylvania. Phase II is anticipated to be completed in fall of 2026.
The $2.4 million floodplain restoration, an identified priority by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), will restore the site’s floodplain area to help accommodate the high volume of water associated with severe storms. In addition to cutting-edge stormwater management, floodplain restoration projects are shown to provide several other significant environmental benefits, such as mitigating erosion, revitalizing and expanding local habitats, reducing pollution and improving local water quality.
“After several years of close collaboration with the Pennsylvania DEP, Township, and local project partners, we are thrilled to begin work on the stream and floodplain restoration,” said Neal Fisher, VP of development, Hankin Group. “By restoring the wetland, floodplain, and stream to how it existed hundreds of years ago before settlement, we are creating a win-win situation, delivering benefits to our residents, the local community, and the environment.”
A 2022 study by LandStudies, the ecological design company leading the initiative, found that the on-site steam and floodplain have been naturally degraded over time. The project will widen the Lionville Run stream channel and restore the large wetland meadow and floodplain. With the restoration, LandStudies estimated the project would reduce sedimentation by 50,000 pounds annually – a significant benefit as sedimentation is a primary reason many local streams fail to meet the state’s surface water quality standards.
LandStudies will also serve as the landscape architect for the restoration, planting a wide variety of native trees, shrubs, and vegetation throughout the restored floodplain.
“Stormwater control, floodplain management, and stream water quality are all major concerns for the Township as they have a direct impact on our residents’ quality of life,” said John Weller, director of Planning & Zoning, West Whiteland Township. “Hankin Group’s floodplain restoration not only addresses all three of these issues, but also adds more local housing and improves our community’s environmental resiliency. This project is a triple win for us, and we hope Keva Flats becomes a model for future development across the region.”
Phase II will also add 96 apartments across two buildings, one at the northeast corner of Waterloo Blvd. and one at the southeast corner along Lincoln Hgwy.
Keva Flats community is LEED Gold certified and has received the PECO Green Award, which is given to a community for exceptional sustainability initiatives. Keva Flats has also been recognized with awards from the Pennsylvania Apartments Association (PAA), International Interior Design Association, and National Apartment Association (NAA).
The stream restoration received significant support from both West Whiteland Twp. and DEP. The Township has also invested in the initiative towards traffic impact and open space fees. The initiative is the first floodplain restoration in Chester County to meet NPDES stormwater program requirements.
Comments