The City of Lancaster has formerly approved a mixed-use mid-rise building for a corner of North Queen and East Chestnut Streets consisting of an expansion to the bus terminal, the relocated art museum, a parking garage and 38 luxury condominium apartments.
It is arguable that 38 condo units sold to affluent suburbanites will generate as much buying power downtown as the Marriott Hotel! Think of it as 38 families, three to each condo = 114 occupants versus an average of say 200 guests per night at the Marriott, many of whom won’t spend a dime outside the hotel.
But even more importantly, bringing the affluent to downtown adds a influential voice and powerful constituency for intelligent downtown improvements.
Furthermore, when suburban “empty nesters” sell their homes for $500,000 to $750,000 and move downtown, younger suburbanites will envision joining their elders at a later date and view the city and suburbs more holistically. (It no longer will be the inner city “them” and the suburban “us”!)
Lastly, there will likely be far fewer children to educate per assessment dollar, a boon for the School District of Lancaster.
