Reporting on “Incredible shrinking building” turns our thoughts to Lancaster Square East and the need to raze both the near derelict Brunswick Hotel and the long vacant and dysfunctional former Hess Department Store / Bulova Building to make way for an upscale residential condominium community.
We wonder what Lancaster City Development Director Randy Patterson is doing to bring this about. Patterson considers himself above speaking with NewsLanc. Whether the Lancaster Newspapers also lack access or just aren’t interested is an open question.
Mayor Rick Gray recently announced his desire to run for a third term in office. That over two terms nothing has been accomplished concerning Lancaster Square East, an eyesore in the very heart of downtown, could be a major election topic.
Patterson myopically focused his attention on the Bulova Building as a standalone challenge, thus missing the point that Lancaster Square East site is divided up into a land condominium with specified ‘footprints’, thus making it impractical to deal with either the Brunswick or the Bulova as individual new projects.
Patterson apparently believes in his reputation as some sort of guru of redevelopment, despite his spotty record.
Remember the street car parked on the future bus depot site? It took a NewsLanc series on experience in other cities to debunk the street car porposal. And it was also NewsLanc that blew the whistle on the idiotic initial plan for Amtrak parking lot relocations and through its publisher’s direct intervention with Amtrak engineers to bring about radical redesign.
Patterson doesn’t desire input from people who have been successfully dealing with real estate development for decades and possibly through knowledge and contacts could help him get the job done.
Rick Gray has done many good things for Lancaster. But Patterson’s failures may prove to be his “Achilles heel.”
The problem with Lancaster Square is that it is landlocked; there is no access except from Queen St., which is unacceptable for any kind of development. There is simply nowhere to put loading docks or delivery doors without blocking traffic on one of the busiest streets in downtown Lancaster. Rumor has it that the owners of the Bulova building and the Brunswick annex both want far too much money to sell the buildings that block access from Marion and Christian Sts.
The other issue is that grant money for just about anything has dried up. Funding for the DCED and RCAP grants have been slashed by the state, and there simply are no other significant sources of taxpayer funding for economic development any more. And loans for even those who have the best credit are still unreasonably difficult to obtain.
Blaming Randy Patterson for a lack of development in Lancaster Square is like blaming President Obama for the Great Recession, both of which started long before either took office.
EDITOR: It is the Bulova Building, not Lancaster Square, which is “landlocked.”
We blamed Patterson for not being willing to meet with NewsLanc or discuss the situation with its publisher who is both experienced in such matters and has many contacts.
We also have reason to believe that Patterson was slow off the mark in recognizing the solution to the Hess / Bulova building puzzle was through combined action concerning the Brunswick.
Lastly, we have been told that the Bulova Building is in bankruptcy reorganization, which can be advantageous for its acquisition and we believe that the Brunswick could be available and the price negotiable.
Actually, the Bulova building can easily be accessed from Christian Street, where its eastern wall fronts. Lancaster City owns the property known as Lancaster Square, but without adequate loading access the site is not commercially viable. There simply is no feasible way for Lancaster City to purchase either the Brunswick or Bulova annex, especially since the loss of either could significantly reduce the value of their attached properties.
EDITOR: Has the City tried?
Sounds like small town bs. The Bulova building is an eyesore and a waste. Worse than a waste.