Featured Project: Delaware National & Philmont Redevelopment Projects

Partnering with landowners, developers, and municipalities to establish solid foundations for their residential communities is an important piece of achieving our Brubacher mission of Shaping The World We Live In. We are honored to apply our depth of knowledge and experience in residential development and redevelopment construction to help build communities and steward resources in ways that serve others well. From value engineering, sequencing, and risk management to full site preparation services, our team considers the unique needs of our clients along with project constraints and digs deep (literally in these two situations – by probing to quantify rock and provide lump-sum pricing assurance to each client) to minimize surprises later on.

Currently, Brubacher crews are working hard on two redevelopment projects, Delaware National and Philmont, that convert old, overgrown golf courses into new residential communities. Through thoughtful planning, collaboration, and a commitment to sharing Insight. On Site., each multi-phase project has had a successful start.

Delaware National – Redevelopment

Sitting on approximately 205 acres of land just outside Wilmington, DE, the Delaware National redevelopment project is transforming the former Hercules Golf Course and Country Club (which was closed several years ago) into a 258-lot townhome and single-family home community. Brubacher and property owner Pettinaro Enterprises are excited to partner together and turn the area into a place where families and individuals will live, work, and thrive. From clearing and grubbing the overgrown greens and fairways, demolition, earthmoving and drilling and blasting to installing stormwater basins, underground utilities, retaining walls, and paving, our team and trusted partners are going above and beyond to achieve project milestones.

Phases one and two of the five-phase project started earlier this year, with earthwork crews navigating confidently through the many complexities to ensure efficient teamwork and progress. Located in a hilly region of northern Delaware, our team is managing 130 feet of elevation changes across the site and has a thorough plan set to install 39 retaining walls. Adding to the site challenges, an underground electric line (that powers an active facility bordering the jobsite) was uncovered early on. Ensuring the unexpected find did not completely derail progress required agile thinking and clear communications with all project partners.

“When I first visited the Delaware National Country Club, I saw an old, overgrown golf course that had not been touched in over 10 years. Since starting the project, every week I see the progress our team is making on clearing and opening up the site. Watching unusable land be transformed into a housing development that will serve the community and be there for generations to come is very rewarding,” shared Rob D., Project Engineer.

The total scope of this project includes:

• Site Size: 205 Acres
• Clearing: 36 Acres
• Earthwork: 700,000 CY
• Pipe Installed: 58,000 LF
• Paving: 40,000SY
• Number of Lots: 258 (100 Townhomes, 168 Single-Family Homes)

“Brubacher was the right choice for this project. Their professionalism and reputation were the right fit. Construction started in the spring of 2023 and will be completed in multiple phases. Work is expected to be 100% completed in the summer of 2025. We are excited to partner with Brubacher for this project and know we are in good hands,” said Steve L., Vice-President of Pettinaro.

Philmont Country Club – Redevelopment

Located in Montgomery County, PA, the Philmont Country Club has been an important part of the community since 1906 and continues to attract many people to its grounds for a variety of activities and enjoyment. Brubacher is excited to partner with Elm Street Development for land clearing, drilling & blasting, earthwork, underground utility installation, and paving services that will convert one of the two current golf courses (previously vacant and unused) into 176 lots to house new residents and club members. The Brubacher team is also looking forward to completing improvements to the country club’s property and amenities, from a new driving range to new tennis courts and more.

As part of our steadfast commitment to going above and beyond for our clients, team members are working hard to deliver a construction plan for success no matter what challenges present themselves. Phase one of the Philmont project included a large volume of rock that was quantified during pre-project probing, as well as approximately 70,000 cubic yards of soil that required special placement.

Taylor G., Project Engineer shared, “As part of the soil remediation, there was an extensive geotechnical testing process that had the potential to cause significant project delays. Through careful planning and proactive communication, Brubacher was able to help formulate a plan to navigate the testing procedures in a safe and efficient way that minimized any negative impacts to the project schedule.”

In addition to successfully navigating site complexities, Brubacher has been able to ensure Philmont Country Club remains in full operation even while construction is in progress. Through open and transparent lines of communication with all parties, our team has adapted for the facility’s existing utilities and redesign plans when necessary to minimize disruptions for the country club’s staff and members.

“I could not be happier with our choice of Brubacher to construct our Villas at the Philmont project. The Philmont Country Club is over 100 years old and is a premier club in the Philadelphia area. We are redeveloping 18 of their 36 holes of golf into 176 active adult villas. Due to the age of the club, we have had many challenges, the first of which is keeping the club open throughout our construction, which includes relocating their parking lot, building new tennis courts, and redeveloping their driving range. We also did not have drawings to show all their wet and dry utilities. Brubacher has been instrumental in helping to locate those facilities and find ways of relocating them with minimal impact to both the club and our construction schedule. With the original golf course being over 100 years old, there were significant areas of soil that required special handling. Brubacher’s knowledge and ability to safely handle these soils has been second to none. The entire team of people Brubacher has put on this project is outstanding. Elm Street is proud to have chosen Brubacher as a partner in developing their first project in Pennsylvania and looks forward to working on future projects with them,” said Michael Charlton, Vice President of Elm Street Development.

The total scope of this project includes: 

• Site Size: 88 Acres
• Number of Lots: 176
• Clearing: 31 Acres
• Drilling and Blasting: 100,000 CY
• Earthwork: 540,000 CY
• Sanitary Pipe Installed: 12,750 LF
• Storm Pipe Installed: 19,350 LF
• Water Pipe Installed: 11,870 LF
• Paving: 45,000 SY
• Off-Site Road Improvements

“The project is being managed well not only by Brubacher, but also Elm Street Development and the Philmont Country Club. Everyone has an understanding that we are coming together for the greater good and to build the project right,” shared Chris S., Project Manager.

We are grateful for Rob D., Caleb G., Taylor G., Adam H., Landon M., Chris S., Ron S., and all field team members who continue to work hard on these projects. Thank you for your contributions to delivering excellence for our clients!

We look forward to collaborating on future projects to help our clients redevelop land and bring their visions to life while Shaping The World We Live In.  Reach out to our team to start a conversation about your next residential construction, redevelopment, commercial or industrial project!