The two adjoining buildings at 141 to 147 E. King Street are across from an attractive parking garage and within sight of the Convention Center, and yet they have been condemned by the City and are unoccupied and boarded up.
According to a report from a NewsLanc contributor: “Several of the front windows on the second and third floors had been removed, and a number of heavy steel beams had been bolted THROUGH the windows; this is an indication that the wall is in danger of collapsing.”
The last sale date was December 31, 2007, for a reported price of $170,000.
The owner of record is King Grant LP, 616 Paxton Place, Lititz PA 17543. Another contributor advises that John Meeder is listed as President.
The logical question is why would an owner allow a building to remain vacant and in such a condition of disrepair when most others on the same block have been either replaced or improved as the location has become more desirable?
We can only speculate that ownership may recognize that values are likely to increase substantially over the next two to three years and are awaiting the optimal time to either sell, improve or replace the buildings.
In that case, what can the City do about the situation? Presumably it could arrange for the buildings to be torn down at the owner’s expense. But that leaves a hole in the ground with a fence around it. Not much of an improvement!
