By Cliff Lewis
With the official opening of the Lancaster County Convention Center this week, the general tone in Lancaster seems to be one of cautious optimism. After all, it has taken a long time to finish this project, and now, whether one likes it or not, the Center is here to stay. The strongest critics of the project—NewsLanc included—have always based their position on a sincere concern for the well-being of Lancaster City and County; and now that the ribbon is cut, these voices can only hope for results better than predicted.
Indeed, the feasibility of the Convention Center project has been challenged on a variety of grounds—from funding sources, to market viability, to its impact upon Downtown traffic patterns. Will the Center offer sufficient loading space for major events? Will traffic problems result from the tight portico space at Penn Square? And, most importantly, will the publicly-financed Center draw enough income to keep up with its own financial obligations?
Many of these questions, accrued over the span of several years, may be answered in the next several months. Other answers may take longer to come into focus. NewsLanc wishes success for the newly opened Center, hoping that previous concerns are worked out in the due course of time.
