Former Steudler Estate Prepped For Development

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As anyone who drives by the property could tell you, changes are happening at a former estate just off Oregon Pike near Lancaster Shopping Center.

A demolition crew recently cleared and leveled the 11-acre property at 1611 Oregon Pike.

Meanwhile, Richmond, Va.-based Patient First has announced it plans to open its new outpatient medical center in early 2013.

The plans for the initial Lancaster County site for Patient First had been disclosed more than a year ago during hearings on the project before Manheim Township officials.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/682711_Former-Steudler-estate-prepped-for-development.html#ixzz1zqrcloH0

America’s Most Livable City, 100 Years In The Making

Editor’s note:  Great article detailing the city of Lancaster’s revitalization!

 

A century ago, downtown Lancaster was the economic and cultural center of Lancaster County. In 1910, the Red Rose City’s population of 47,000 represented 28% of the residents of the entire county, and all trolley lines led to Penn Square. 

 

Then Henry Ford’s Model T made cars affordable for everyone, and by 1938, Lancaster County’s trolleys had stopped running. The suburbs were growing, and Lancaster was beginning to feel the pain of changing demographics. 

 

As early as 1944, an investigation found that many of the city’s housing units were substandard, but that finding didn’t stop the population from peaking in 1950 at more than 63,000. By 1960, however, the number had dropped to 61,000, and two major events in the 1960s did great damage to the economy and to the spirit of downtown Lancaster. 

 

Read more: http://www.keystoneedge.com/features/lancasterinbloom0426.aspx

Lancaster City Council Approves Rezoning Of Former YMCA Site

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lancaster City Council members Tuesday approved the rezoning of the former Lancaster Family YMCA site to allow for the construction of a new medical office building and parking garage.

Council members also began consideration of a bill that would take a portion of a parking lot by eminent domain as part of plans to expand City Hall.

The rezoning changes the former YMCA site at North Queen, East Frederick and North Prince streets from a residential designation to “hospital campus.”

Lancaster General Health, whose parking garage lies just across North Queen Street from the site, plans to construct a five-story, 175,000-square-foot administrative office building. Some 550 employees now working in rented space in Burle Business Park on New Holland Avenue would be shifted to the new building, hospital officials said.

A six-level, 632-space parking garage would be built adjacent to the office building, at Prince and Frederick streets, to serve the employees.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/608802_Lancaster-City-Council-approves-rezoning-of-former-YMCA-site.html#ixzz1pmnTHJM2

Perdue Reveals Plan For Soybean Plant In Conoy Township

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Representatives of Perdue AgriBusiness gave Conoy supervisors a preview Thursday of a $59 million soybean processing plant the company wants to build in the township.

But official township review of the plant will be less extensive than previous efforts to build on the 57-acre parcel next to the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management’s waste-to-energy plant.

The site along Route 441 has twice been considered for distilleries for corn ethanol fuel, but neither project came to fruition. Those projects were subject to conditional-use hearings, but review of the soybean plant will be less extensive because industrial zoning allows it as a permitted use on the property.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/601598_Company-reveals-plan-for-soybean-plant-in-Conoy.html

Apartments Planned For Former Lancaster City Warehouse

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Landis Communities and a Pittsburgh developer will convert a city warehouse into 36 loft apartments for active adults age 55 and older.

The project, announced Monday, will redevelop the former Radel & Stauffer location at 118 N. Water St., on the corner of West Marion Street.

Costing $8.9 million, Steeple View Lofts is scheduled to open in spring 2013.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/598852_Apartments-planned-for-former-Lancaster-city-warehouse.html#ixzz1oZC0iH3x

Mystery Business To Bring 300 – 400 Jobs To Oregon Pike Spot

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An unidentified out-of-town firm will move into the former Windstream building near Schaum’s Corner, creating 300 to 400 white-collar jobs.

The mystery firm has agreed to lease the 4139 Oregon Pike building from a local real estate firm, Oak Tree Development.

Oak Tree, which bought the building in December for $5.9 million, intends to expand the 80,000-square-foot facility and add parking for the tenant.

Mike O’Brien, Oak Tree president, confirmed the lease Friday but declined to name the tenant, its type of business or its current location.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/597726_Mystery-business-to-bring-300-400-jobs-to-Oregon-Pike-spot.html#ixzz1oBi2Tz47

Man Hopes To Establish Miscrodistillery In Lancaster City

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Andrew H. Martin has seen the rise in microbreweries in recent years.

Now he hopes to be a part of the next big wave: microspirits.

Martin, of East Orange Street, plans to convert a former three-story tobacco warehouse into the county’s first distillery since Prohibition.

And, within a year, he hopes to be reintroducing consumers to a product unseen here in nearly a century: locally made rye whiskey.

“It’s something I’ve been interested in for a while. I’ve been reading about it for a while,” said Martin, 34.

“Lancaster seems like a great place. The history of distilling is strong. It was destroyed with Prohibition, but I think it would come back.”

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/594488_Man-hopes-to-establish-microdistillery-in-Lancaster-city.html#ixzz1nbTR1vED

Lititz Electronics Firm Gets Multimillion Dollar Government Contract

Sechan Electronics has received a contract worth up to $64.2 million to make a key electronics assembly used in high-tech military tracking systems.

The contract, which could run five years, calls for making signal data processors for the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Defense said this week.

In the initial $13.8 million phase of the contract, Sechan will make 84 of the signal data processor assemblies by October 2016 for the Navy and Australia, the DOD said.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/555673_Lititz-electronics-firm-lands-multimillion-dollar-military-contract.html#ixzz1hJXvoKFk

Historic Columbia, PA Market House Rededicated

A large crowd was on hand Thursday for the rededication of the Historic Columbia Market House, which recently underwent improvements to its roof, exterior and heating and electrical systems.

 

Speakers included Mayor Leo Lutz, Borough Manager Norm Meiskey, Borough Council President Mary Wickenheiser, Columbia Historic Market House Trust Chairman Dave Rupp, Turkey Hill Vice President John Cox and Lancaster County Commissioner Craig Leaman.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/487213_Columbia-market-rededicated.html#ixzz1c5nVI23Q

Shady Maple Complex – Regional Destination And Economic Powerhouse

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Rural East Earl Township in Lancaster County is home to Shady Maple Smorgasbord, Shady Maple Farm Market, Good’s Store, Country Home Furniture and Martin’s Trailside Express.  This cluster of businesses provides a huge economic boost to East Earl Township while preserving the character of it surroundings, which adds to the appeal/experience.

Shady Maple Smorgasbord seats 1200, Shady Maple Farm Market is 124,000 square feet and Good’s Store just added a 20,000-square-foot addition.  This complex features some very large stores/restaurants, however, it “fits into the rural surrounding” and has become a regional destination.  You could literally spend the day eating and shopping there.

Read this very interesting article from the Central Penn Business Journal: http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/article/20110826/CPBJ01/110829896/Hometown-draw