When the former Morrow’s Marina first hit the Ridley Township, Pa., real estate market, it seemed like this last piece of the town’s open space might soon become a townhome development. But the township’s board of commissioners had a different idea for the tumble-down, 14-acre property, sited on Darby Creek, less than a mile from the entrance to the Delaware River. In addition to a new public recreation amenity, some on the board also saw a possible income opportunity too good for the township to pass up.
 
“I think, with good management, there could be a lot of revenue in the future,” said Bob Willert, who was then the board’s president, of the financial benefits the marina could offer.
 
Over the years, the town has made improvements to the marina, boosting its popularity with boaters. And, with the recent opening of a new $6 million restaurant, along with marina offices, right on the waterfront, that income potential is becoming a reality. Owned by the township and leased to a local restaurateur, the new Stinger’s Waterfront has quickly become a popular destination. It’s also easy to find, even without a GPS, thanks to a standout metal roof finished in Petersen’s impossible-to-miss Copper Penny hue.
 
While the color is certainly eye-catching, it was the classic PAC-CLAD Snap-Clad profile that first caught the attention of Clarice Jones, project architect with Catania Engineering Associates, the restaurant’s Milmont Park, Pa.-based design firm. She knew the standing seams on the 10,500 square-feet of Snap-Clad roof panels – complemented by a matching 1,500 square-feet of vented PAC-750 Soffit Panels – would emphasize the crisp lines of the building’s contemporary façade.
 
“The seaming is punched out – I saw a particular style,” she said. “I liked the way the seam looked in profile, it was a nice tight look.”
 
E.P. Donnelly Inc., of Warrington, Pa., installed the roof, and it was a complicated job. The sloped design is interrupted on both sides with three triangular window dormers, requiring complex detailing. And a multi-gabled cupola required similar attention, though at a smaller scale. While the project originally was specified using a competitive product, Donnelly’s project manager Gerry Campi suggested Petersen’s PAC-CLAD product to the general contractor – J.S. McManus Inc. of Chester Heights, Pa. – as a better fit for this demanding project.
 
“I told the GC that Petersen was a much better product, and the GC made the switch,” Campi said. “We use the Snap-Clad profile regularly. It snaps together the best. It’s a really nice product.”
 
For Jones, metal was the only roofing option that would work. “It would have looked too residential,” otherwise, she said. But, interestingly, the bright metallic finish wasn’t her first choice. Initially, her plans had called for a more neutral gray, but the town’s business manager opted for opted for the definitely-not-neutral Copper Penny shade.
 
“They wanted something bolder,” Jones said. “It’s like a flame; I’m glad they chose it. It sparkles like a diamond.”
 
Campi is equally enthusiastic about the finished project, despite the challenges it posed for his installation crew.
 
“Our guys were tied off 100 percent of the time, but it turned out great,” he said, adding that the roof has become a billboard, of sorts, for the marina, visible from a nearby interstate highway. “When you’re coming down I-95 through Philly, that Copper Penny roof really stands out.”