The contributor refers to Bill Keisling’s and NewsLanc’s forthcoming book on decades of corruption in Pennsylvania:
I hope your 50 corruptions include the downtown Lancaster project. That $200 million albatross is about to grow in cost. And that dumb project — a bad idea from its inception — has paid exactly zero property taxes. Not one single cent has gone to the failing and impoverished School District of Lancaster.
…Art Morris, who championed taking the hotel off the tax rolls in 2005, is now protesting a bit too much about the $23 million expansion. Where were you when this project was siphoning taxpayer money, Art? He was holding pom-poms, and cheer leading for it (when he wasn’t savaging Shellenberger and Henderson for opposing it.)
With the corruption and complicity of the County Commissioners (Thibault) legislature (Gib Armstrong) and city (Smithgall; RACL; city council) the Lancaster Convention Center project was as “corrupt” as anything you’ll find in any city, big or small. The fix was in, and the people are still paying for it.
While I did not agree with the Convention Center project, I don’t think anyone can deny that it has been the catylist to throw revitalization of downtown Lancaster. It has become a vibrant city that is attracting resident, restaurants and businesses.
EDITOR: Downtown areas throughout the country have experience a surge of this type of growth due to the desire of millennials to move to downtown areas. It may have had some impact but unlikely is the main factor