Rock-inn - Hotel planned at Rock Lititz

Transporting talent and technicians from Taylor Swift’s Dassault Falcon 900 to Rock Lititz’s $7 million, 52,000-square-foot rehearsal-testing studio is simple.

The studio is a shake, rattle, and a roll from Lancaster Airport which can accommodate a private jet from Vegas, L.A., or Nashville, or even a commuting helicopter from New York to within a few minutes drive.

But the lingering question has been where will visiting rock stars Justine Timberlake, Bono, Katy Perry, Roger Waters and their crews stay when they come to process the intricacies of the new stage, sound, and lighting in Rock Lititz’s 100-foot-high proving grounds?

The answer: a new Rock Lititz hotel and restaurant located within its 96-acre compound located at 36 W. Newport Road.

Rock Lititz will present a revised master plan this week (Wednesday night) to Warwick Township Supervisors that includes a newly proposed hotel that would be built by unnamed “partners,” Andrea Shirk, Rock Lititz general manager, confirmed Tuesday.

“Consistent with our initial vision, Rock Lititz is working with potential partners to develop a hotel on the campus,” she said. “This will enable us to better serve our customers by providing on-site overnight accommodations for our clients’ technical talent and support staff.”

Rock Lititz is a collaboration that incorporates the talents of Lititz companies Clair Global and TAIT to perfect stage, sound, logisitcs and more for the entertainment industry all over the world.

Dan Zimmerman, Warwick Township manager, echoed the sentiments of local business leaders, government officials, and others in the entertainment industry who say more lodging space is badly needed in the Lititz and Warwick Township areas.

Finding lodging space for Rock Lititz’s visiting clients has become especially difficult during its busy concert planning season and the initial start-up of its rehearsal studio, which opened in October.

“It’s become more and more a problem for them, they simply can’t find space,” Zimmerman said.LRRock Lititz behind

Zimmerman said Rock Lititz competes with other local companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Armstrong, and Manheim Auto Auction for limited rooms at The Eden, Cork & Cap, and other hotels. Often Rock Lititz client visitors require long-term stays. Some crews visit for more than 30 days, he said.

“When they come in and say we need 50 rooms for 30 days, they might hear ‘we can give you 40 rooms for 10 days’… it’s just not working for them,” Zimmerman said.

Rock Lititz has several rooms “booked solid” at the General Sutter Inn, he said, “there’s just that demand.” He noted big events such as Lititz volleyball and soccer tournaments often require visitors to book rooms as far away as Harrisburg.

Some details to be submitted on the lodging project at Wednesday’s meeting include: sewer and water systems, which are currently being installed to serve the overall development.

The water system has been connected to the initial Studio Phase 1A building &tstr; opened in October &tstr; that is adjacent to the proposed the “L shaped” lodging building that will have a new drive connection at Ellen Avenue.

The majority of the rooms at the hotel will be primarily used by patrons already onsite working within other buildings. All major infrastructure is constructed in the areas surrounding the proposed hotel on an established building pad.

The proposed building is a “commercial condominium arrangement rather than a fee-simple arrangement as originally envisioned.”

“The new approach will allow greater control by Rock Lititz as to how the project progresses and is developed and maintained.”

Patrick Burns is social media editor and staff writer for The Ephrata Review. He welcomes your questions and comments and can be reached at pburns.eph@lnpnews.com or at 721-4455.

Source: The Lititz Record Express