On the evening of December 8, Lancaster City Council unanimously voted to approve the City’s purchase of a property at 424 North Queen Street. The building will eventually make way for an entry ramp to the planned parking garage on Market Street, behind the as-yet-undeveloped Lancaster Press Building, according to Jose Urdaneta, Councilman and Economic Development & Revitalization Committee Chair.
The site of the future garage is currently occupied by a surface-level parking lot.
Randy Patterson, Director of the Department of Economic Development and Neighborhood Revitalization, told NewsLanc that the property will be purchased by the City for $610,000. The sellers, Gary Smith and Mary Smith, are also the founders and Co-Artistic Directors of the Theater of the Seventh Sister, which runs out of the Stahr Performing Arts Center on 438 N Queen.
The $610,000 purchase will be funded by tax increment financing, Patterson said, which would not put a strain on the already tight 2010 general fund budget. The settlement itself, Patterson noted, could be as early as February 28; however, it could be extended by as many as 90 days.
The garage itself represents as a nudge from the City toward the renovation of the Lancaster Press Building, which is being pursued through a partnership between Ed Drogaris, Susquehanna Real Estate, Wagman Construction, and Fourth River Development. Most recently it was reported that Garden Spot Village may join in this partnership to develop the space into high-end condominiums for residents over 55 years old.
Urdaneta asserted that while there was “still a very strong commitment on the part of the developers of this project,” the garage will be a worthwhile addition in its own right: “This garage is going to serve businesses and residents of the area. So, with or without the Press Building, this is a positive for the area because of the entertainment hub that is happening in the Queen Street and Lemon Street area.”
Note that this garage is being built by Lancaster City, because the Parking Authority has maxed out its credit.
The property in question is shown in the graphic accompanying this article at the top right of the highlighted circle, just below the National Guard armory.