U. SAUCON TWP., Pa. – “So, this is a little-known spot, that you hope to make very well known,” I said to Jason Duckworth near the Olympus campus in Center Valley.

“Yes. Absolutely,” he said.

Duckworth, of Arcadia Land Company, is talking about an old filled up and now frozen-over mine, called Lake Thomas.

“This woodland trail would come through this area then wind its way along the banks through the woodlands,” Duckworth said.

Part of a $500-million, 130-acre transformational project behind and around the Promenade Saucon Valley shops, land currently owned by Lehigh University.

“There are commercial uses, there are health care institutions. There’s a tremendous shopping center at the Promenade shops, but they’re all islands. They don’t connect well, and frankly, the total doesn’t really exceed the sum of its parts,” Duckworth said.

Duckworth believes the project can be the missing link creating a walkable green-inspired community, which includes rental apartments and owner-occupied townhomes, senior living, with 60 acres of open space, with walking trails, a dog park, amphitheater, and the opening up of Lake Thomas, with a fishing pier.

He presented his plan to Upper Saucon Township Monday night. The township says it’ll be about six months to a year before another public hearing.

In the meantime, they’d like answers addressing the project’s impact to the school district, traffic, taxes, and quality of life. Supervisors did pass the project on to other township employees.

Zoning needs to be amended. Duckworth says that if approved, a five-year phase in build out is expected.

“The spending power of the households that we would be bringing to Promenade Park could be in excess of $100 million and we think that is a game changer,” he said.