A proposed aquatics center that earlier this year was
eyed for a Lancaster City site before it was shelved has now resurfaced in
suburban Lancaster.
The facility’s applicants hope to build the
multimillion-dollar center along State Road and Harrisburg Pike, just south of
the Route 283 exit, in East Hempfield Township.
Township officials confirmed Wednesday that aquatic
center officials are exploring building the swimming and recreational facility
at the northeast corner of the State Road/Harrisburg Pike intersection, a few
miles northwest of Lancaster.
They could have the land under contract within several
weeks and would then seek to rezone the property from its current “Agricultural
Holding” designation, East Hempfield official Andrew Stern said.
“They have indicated they want to be very aggressive with
their timetable,” Stern said.
The center’s backers have told East Hempfield officials
they hope to start building the facility by 2015 and have it partially occupied
in 2016, Stern said.
TLC Aquatic Center had been planning a multi-pool
competition and therapy facility at the former RCA complex, at New Holland
Avenue and Pleasure Road, before that site was shelved.
Principals in the group developing the project are:
Andrew Woolley, who has been listed as the project’s lead developer; architect
Edwin Wallover III; and Susan Wallover, president of Wallover Aquatics
International and Edwin Wallover’s wife.
Stern, East Hempfield’s planning and development
director, said TLC officials also have expressed an interest in having
“complementary uses, such as medical, professional, retail, perhaps some sort
of eating establishment.
“Overall, these uses would have an overall relationship
to health and wellness. That’s how they see everything connecting,” Stern said.
Edwin Wallover, reached Wednesday, declined comment for
now on the project. Woolley could not immediately be reached for comment.
A rezoning of some sort will be needed for the aquatic
facility to proceed, but it’s just a question of what kind that rezoning will
be once details of the center are known, Stern also said.
The aquatics center site is part of an area of East
Hempfield now being actively studied for possible development by business and
building officials, Stern added.
One would-be project in the area has fallen through,
however, as Charter Homes & Neighborhoods has dropped its already-approved
plan for Fairmont, a 275-home community at Harrisburg Pike and Sylvan Road.
With all of the interest from developers, East Hempfield officials
hope, with the developers’ help, to extend main east-west road Yellow Goose
Road eastward from Harrisburg Pike to Sylvan Road.
Stern said TLC officials have yet to submit plans or
drawings for their proposed facility.
They have hired ELA Group Inc. of Lititz to do its
land-use planning and site design, he said.
Cost of the aquatics center had been project at $68
million when it was eyed earlier this year in Lancaster City’s Burle Business
Park.
If the aquatics center is constructed elsewhere, it may
be done at a lower cost, officials said at the time.
Initial plans in 2012 called for a $41 million facility.
The cost increased to $56 million by March of this year.
In March, Woolley said the plans were for a
213,000-square-foot facility. At the heart of the building would be a 50-meter
competition pool to be used for high school, college and masters competitions.
A large leisure pool, designed for children, would be at
one end of the building.
Upper levels would include classrooms and therapy spaces
for rehabilitation, physical therapy and wellness programs, Woolley had said at
the time.
It’s not known how many of these aspects will be included
if the East Hempfield plan goes forward.
TLC stands “for therapy, leisure and competition,”
facility backers also have said.
Source: Lancaster
Online
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