Beautiful York has been evaluating the site since the
mid-2000s
Look across Continental Square.
It has been nearly gutted.
Once home to major retailers, city offices and
restaurants, the large, stately buildings lining the square have emptied,
leaving little reason for pedestrians to pause in the heart of York's downtown.
But look up.
Those unoccupied buildings offer some striking
architecture that Tim Fulton, program coordinator for Downtown Inc, wants to
spotlight. Literally.
Fulton, along with other members of Downtown Inc and
Beautiful York, is working to bring a whole new lighting scheme to the square —
one he says would make it "a great nighttime place" and highlight the
site's position as "the crossroads of York County."
The group is in the process of evaluating its options —
whether they'll use white lights or colored bulbs, changing them with the
season — and seeking buy-in from property owners, he said. Plans might also
include LED lighting around certain prominent features to make them stand out.
The small changes, he believes, could have a "very
dramatic impact."
They also would be the first improvements to stem from an
about $5 million master plan for the square, which has been marked for
redevelopment since the mid 2000s.
More than a decade ago, Beautiful York, an offshoot of
the York County Community Foundation, began surveying different projects around
the city, said Sonia Huntzinger, executive director of Downtown Inc. About
three years ago, the group began to seriously look at how to improve the
square.
Local firm Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects designed a
complete overhaul that recommended significant changes, such as leveling out
the area and making one complete plane with no sidewalks and re-opening the
subterranean comfort stations, Huntzinger said.
Since that redesign was put forth, there has been little
noticeable change. However, major redevelopment plans have not been abandoned.
Fulton said that Downtown Inc and Beautiful York will
continue to pursue a revamp of the square, but turned to the lighting first
because it was "low-hanging fruit" that could "be done
independent of any other major construction or reconstruction."
Fulton expects to move forward with the design phase and
cost estimates for the lighting within the next four weeks.
The renewed improvement efforts follow on the heels of a
major acquisition on the square by York's Redevelopment Authority. In July, the
RDA purchased the Citizens Bank building, which has been vacant since the
branch closed in 2012, for $515,000.
Leonardo McClarty, director of economic and community
development, said in an email that the city has fielded some calls from
investors but has not had any serious offers.
"New lighting can only enhance public safety efforts
which adds to the comfort level of those patronizing downtown
establishments," McClarty said. "As we seek to repurpose and
ultimately dispose of the Citizens building, it only aids our efforts to be
able to highlight beautification projects underway."
Fulton does not want construction in the area, which
might include reconfiguring the sidewalks or other major changes, to conflict
with private development. He said that Downtown Inc has met with David Yohn,
developer of 1 Marketway West, to talk about plans for the building and will adjust
the Continental Square plans to complement new retailers.
Yohn could not be reached for comment, but Richard
Miller, of Three Cord Inc., who was working in partnership with Yohn last year,
said previously that they were eyeing commercial and residential uses.
What will happen to the comfort stations?
Tim Fulton, program coordinator for Downtown Inc, said
that the comfort stations on Continental Square are an asset that the groups
that are interested in redeveloping the site want to keep.
Fulton's organization is working with Beautiful York and
private developers to carry out a major revamp of the square.
He said that the comfort stations are an "important
part of what could happen in the square."
Earlier this year, the city realized that tree wells over
the top of the stations were allowing water to leak into the rooms. The wells
were removed and the top sealed to prevent further deterioration.
Fulton said he would like to the area reopened, possibly
as a public space or even restaurant but that there were no serious developers
to date.
Source: YDR.com
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