Featured Project: Villages at Fricks Lock Residential Development

In Chester County, PA, an open field along the banks of the Schuylkill River has begun to transform into a thoughtfully planned residential community known as the Villages at Fricks Lock. As the site development partner for this 155-home project, Brubacher is working closely with Moser Development to bring the vision for the new neighborhood to life.

Spanning 70 acres and planned in three phases, our team is honored to be providing a full-scope sitework package, including land clearing, bulk earthwork, underground utility installation, and paving. Additionally, the project requires drilling and blasting services provided by Pennsylvania’s trusted drilling and blasting contractor, Trinity Drilling & Blasting, as well as off-site improvements. Along with integrating water mains, this work will include the realignment of nearby Fricks Lock Road, the widening of State Route 724, and installing a new traffic signal, which will enhance accessibility and safety for future residents.

“This project features several layers of complexity because we’re involved in every phase of site development and in coordinating off-site roadway upgrades and more to support the community,” said Chris S., Project Manager at Brubacher. “Although we just recently broke ground, the team has been actively engaged in value engineering and problem-solving for some time, working directly with engineers, the township, and utility providers to keep everything on track.”

A New Partnership & Overcoming Early Challenges

Because Moser is a new client for Brubacher, our team has worked with intention to build a highly collaborative partnership as our teams have been getting to know one another. The Villages at Fricks Lock residential construction project showcases Brubacher’s ability to provide Insight. On Site. proving critical in creating value for Moser from the start. “We identified areas where we could modify designs and specifications to reduce development costs while ensuring an efficient and high-quality build,” explained Director of Estimating and Project Management Allan D.

As sitework operations got underway in February 2025, the Brubacher team immediately began tackling several complex design and construction challenges for an efficient resolution that had been uncovered during strategic site planning.

One of the first major obstacles involved an off-site sewer tie-in initially designed to be 27 feet deep, requiring complex deep excavation solutions that would have significantly impacted the adjacent Schuylkill River walking trail. The Brubacher team recognized that this design was not feasible for several reasons, including the fact that township regulations prohibit trail closures. This required a time-sensitive re-engineering of the sewer connection, reducing the depth to 16 feet and modifying the manhole structure to keep the trail open while maintaining the necessary functionality in the sewer system.

“We had to move fast on this one,” Chris shared. “By working directly with the engineer and township, we were able to keep the project moving forward while meeting all local requirements and ensuring the recreation trail remained accessible.”

Another significant adjustment focused on stormwater infrastructure. During site assessments, the Brubacher estimating team identified that one of the stormwater basin pipe runs had an outlet structure designed above ground instead of below, creating a drainage risk. The team redesigned the pipe run by gathering precise field measurements and collaborating with design engineers to ensure effective drainage and long-term site stability.

Earthwork Optimization and Utility Coordination for Off-Site Improvements

As an experienced excavation and site contractor dedicated to Shaping the World We Live In, Brubacher has also been focused on site grading and bulk earthwork optimization to balance excavation and fill materials. Effective pre-planning that began long before equipment hit the site and digging began ensured an optimized strategy to avoid unnecessary soil import or export, helping to reduce costs and improve project efficiency.

Chris noted, “Our goal is always to balance the site as efficiently as possible. If we can eliminate unnecessary material hauling for unsuitable soil remediation, it keeps costs lower for our client partners and makes the project more sustainable.”

In terms of construction planning and risk mitigation for the off-site improvements and roadway enhancements in upcoming phases, the team has also been working to settle several design challenges. The project scope includes approximately 4,000 linear feet of water main installation along public roadways in the area, and our team found several conflicts in the utility construction plans inherited from the previous developer, which required amendments.

For instance, utility poles scheduled for relocation were shown to be moving into active travel lanes, and an underground electric service line to a nearby property would have been running through a planned stormwater pipe trench. By catching these issues early on, we worked with Moser and regional utility provider PECO to develop preemptive solutions. This eliminates costly rework, minimizing change orders and disruptions.

Dedicated Teamwork and Collaboration for a Successful Project

Executing a multifaceted PA construction project like the Villages at Fricks Lock requires strong collaboration. Chris expressed gratitude to the entire team for their persistence and diligent approach to creating solutions at every turn on this project so far, noting that Site Supervisor Landon M. has been instrumental in field coordination and real-time troubleshooting. At the same time, Taylor G. and Justin M. have played a crucial role in securing timely submittals, approvals, and RFIs to keep construction progressing smoothly.

“This project has demonstrated just how vital behind-the-scenes work can be to assure the work happening in the field is successful,” Chris notes. “From redesigning stormwater systems to handling utility coordination, our entire team is ensuring that everything stays on schedule to create an exceptional experience for our client partners every step of the way.”

With construction scheduled to continue through 2026 and into 2027, the Villages at Fricks Lock is steadily progressing toward becoming a thriving residential development in the coming years, and we are grateful to Moser Development for placing their trust in Brubacher as the site contractor for this exciting project. Collaborating with their team to identify potential roadblocks early in the process and maintain a solutions-driven approach has allowed us to create a solid foundation for this new neighborhood in every sense. We look forward to the continued partnership as this community takes shape.