King of Prussia getting town center

King of Prussia, the Philadelphia region’s largest “edge city,” is getting a walkable downtown, according to Dennis Maloomian, president of Realen. Realen is developing the Village at Valley Forge — which, although alliterative, is something of a misnomer. The $1 billion development breaking ground is much more of an urban center than a village. The project will feature new streets laid out in a modified grid pattern, lofts and flats above stores and restaurants, a community ampitheater, and an upscale hotel and conference center. When built out, it will include 2,000 to 3,000 residential units and about a million square feet of retail space, according to the developer and published reports. The 132-acre former golf course is the last major parcel in King of Prussia available for residential/commercial development. The project is a joint venture with Northwestern Mutual. The master planner is StreetSense, based in Bethesda, Maryland.