Construction Begins On New Target Store In Doylestown Borough

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA ? Construction of the new Target store is officially underway at the Doylestown Shopping Center on North Main Street with a completion date scheduled for next spring or summer.

The new 74,000-square-foot store is replacing the entire western end of the shopping center, including the former locations of Bon-Ton, the Merchantile, Essentials Salon and Day Spa, and Michelle's Hallmark store.

"It's going to look like a Target," said Deborah Houston, the vice president of leasing for the Robbins Companies, which owns the shopping center. "The canopy is coming down. Their signature red and white motif will be the main architectural feature. It will be modern and very edgy looking," she said.

Since the announcement was made earlier this year that a Target would be coming to the shopping center, the feedback from the community has been positive, said Houston.

"People are welcoming the opportunity to have a retailer of that caliber in their (neighborhood). You don't have to get in the car and drive. These days a lot of us are thinking about sustainability and walkability. Doylestown is going to have a major department store within easy walking distance of their homes."

A final glimpse of the former Bon-Ton store and Essentials Salon and Spa (above) before the construction of the new Target begins (below). (Photos by Jeff Werner)

With the arrival of Target, the shopping center will be 100 percent leased, said Houston.

"When compared to a lot of other shopping centers today, that's a wonderful place to be," said Houston. "We're very fortunate. We feel Target will help us to continue to retain the tenants we have because of the cross-shopping from Target."

The shopping center is home to a little more than 20 businesses, including ACME Market, Planet Fitness, Staples, Famous Footwear, Bacco Italian Bistro, Starbucks, Wendy?s, and Turning Point.

The shopping center took a major hit in 2018 with the closing of the Bon-Ton Department Store. The space has remained vacant for the past five years.

"Is it exciting? When you had Bon-Ton close in 2018 and it's now 2023, you're right it's exciting," said Houston of the future Target store. "The Target is going to be a tremendous asset for the community and a great asset to the shopping center."

The shopping center holds a special place for the Robbins Companies. Its founder, John Robbins, built the center in the 1950s. Seventy years later, the company continues to own and operate the center, which is considered one of its legacy properties.

The former Merchantile will be replaced by the new Target store. (Photo by Jeff Werner)