Royal Square Development reveals plans for Market Street revitalization

 York-based Royal Square Development and Construction revealed plans for revitalizing five historic Market Street buildings in Downtown York at a Downtown Inc meeting Tuesday.

The plan — which is partially dependent on Royal Square’s receipt of tax credits and a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant — would cover 300 linear square feet and cost $11.7 million, said Dylan Bauer, Royal Square’s director of real estate development and property management.

The Haines Building at 101 E. Market St. would be turned into 10 apartments with 3,300 square feet of retail space on the first floor.

A building at 25-27 W. Market St., known as the Zakie’s nightclub building, would have six apartments and would bring a restaurant and bar to a 3,000-square-foot space on the first floor.

The Weinbrom building at 56 W. Market St. would have eight apartments, nine retail spaces and a 2,200-square-foot corner-anchor restaurant.

The former Police Heritage Museum building at 54 W. Market St. has 7,200 square feet that an undisclosed potential tenant is interested in using, Bauer said.

Finally, the Woolworth building at 44-50 W. Market St. would become 21 apartment buildings and three retail spaces ranging from 1,100 to 1,700 square feet.

The project would also add 26 parking spaces, Bauer said.

Royal Square either owns or has plans to acquire all the properties, and the company has received cooperation and support from the York Redevelopment Authority and the city government, he said.

The company also plans to complete its Royal Square District project by this summer, he said. It includes storefronts in an area formed by King, Queen, Duke and Princess streets. It will include art galleries, shops, eateries, already open barber shop Didi’s and Smiling Johns, already open furniture store Traffic Black, and the headquarters of the Democratic Party of York, he said.

Also at the meeting, Redevelopment Authority officials described plans to redevelop the Elm Terrace Apartments at 450 Madison Ave., the former Citizens Bank building, and the Pullman apartment building.

Source; Central Penn Business Journal