The Village at waugh chapel:
celebrating years of revolutionary living, shopping & dining
The Village at Waugh Chapel was originally conceived as an MXD-C development by Robert DeStefano (Sturbridge Homes) in order to combine living, shopping, dining and work in one location and maximize density and opportunity as well as create usable open spaces for relaxation and recreation. The Village at Waugh Chapel was a new concept for Anne Arundel County, Maryland in the mid-1990s. The re-zoning, while controversial at the time, was an attempt at envisioning village-style living and change the approach to suburban development in the area. DeStefano, a successful homebuilder in Anne Arundel County proposed this development style and sought approvals to create a new style of living for residents of the region.
Geared toward “active adult” residents, the village was designed as a campus of shared uses, creating zones for retail/restaurant uses, office, and residential buildings. The restaurants, situated around manmade lakes across from the residential buildings also provided an active pedestrian path for access and recreation. There is privacy and separation for the residential occupants, with easy access to the shops and restaurants. Direct access from Crain Highway and Waugh Chapel Road quickly made The Village at Waugh Chapel a destination for daily commuters and gave way to fast lease up to the retail and restaurant components.
The legislated approval required stylization and façade elements to portray “Main Street” elements from architecture reminiscent of the early 20th century “small town” business districts. This Master Development Standard required façade breaks and aesthetic elements to be varied and complementary. The requirement extended to all tenants and uses, mandating that even the restaurant pads stylize their facades to meet the development standards. In 1998 Greenberg Commercial, now Greenberg Gibbons, became a development partner to Sturbridge Homes on the retail, office, and other commercial portions of the development, garnering other investors’ support for the fulfillment of the master-planned community.
The Martin Architectural Group has been fortunate enough to be involved in the Village of Waugh Chapel since the early planning stages in 1996, almost continuously. This responsibility as the master architect required oversight of façade development for all the tenants and coordination of the repositioning of assets over the years to respect and adhere to the master development standards.
Through the years tenants have come and gone, The Marketplace and The Commons have adhered to the changing times, retaining original junior anchors and adding more as well as providing smaller food and service tenants further reinforcing the dining district.
The story of placemaking at The Village at Waugh Chapel continues with Waugh Chapel Towne Center. There are many to thank for the hard work, efforts and creativity to get to this place called The Village of Waugh Chapel. The biggest thanks though go to Robert DeStefano, Greenburg Gibbons Commercial, The Reliable Companies and Bozzuto Development, for the vision and commitment to making the dream become a reality. A true live, work, play; conceived 25 years ago.
ARCHITECTS AND LAND PLANNERS
The Martin Architectural Group was established in 1967 with a commitment to client service and design excellence. Our diverse portfolio includes mixed-use, multi-family residential, senior living communities, retail and office designs, transitoriented developments, and sustainable projects. We are award-winning architects and planners committed to delivering the highest quality professional services to private sector real estate development.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PLAN
www.MartinAIA.com • 215.665.1080 • 240 N. 22nd Street, Philadelphia
