Apartments Coming To York City’s Square Under Revitalization Project

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Dozens of market-rate apartments are heading for downtown York as part of a multimillion dollar overhaul of a prominent historic building that developers say has been under-utilized for years.

Developer David Yohn is planning the renovation 1 Marketway West, which would include building an underground parking garage for residents, York County Commissioners said Wednesday.

The county owns the building, but Yohn Property Management has a $1.3 million purchase contract. Commissioners on Wednesday approved an agreement in which the county moves from first lien position to second lien position, which means the county would be second to get its money if Yohn defaults on a $4 million loan from Fulton Bank, said county solicitor Mike Flannelly.

Read more: http://www.yorkdispatch.com/breaking/ci_25896098/apartments-coming-york-citys-square-under-revitatlization-project?source=most_viewed

Fulton Bank Starting Temporary Fill-In Of East King Expansion Site

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Fulton Bank is facing another delay to its East King Street expansion project and temporary fill-in of the site.

This time, Mother Nature is the culprit.

“We’re behind due to the extreme weather” this winter, said bank spokesman Laura Wakeley on Tuesday.

In its previous timetable, Fulton planned to start filling in the 23 E. King St. site in January.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/business/local_business/fulton-bank-starting-temporary-fill-in-of-east-king-expansion/article_ca61c3f4-b9db-11e3-80de-0017a43b2370.html

Fulton Financial To Cut 14 Branches, Including 1 In Lancaster County

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Fulton Financial is closing 14 branches, including one in Lancaster County, as part of a cost-cutting program worth $8 million annually.

The action was disclosed Wednesday by E. Philip Wenger, chairman, president and chief executive officer.

Wenger spoke during a conference call to discuss Fulton’s fourth-quarter and 2013 results with analysts who follow the firm.

Fulton is closing six branches in Pennsylvania, five in Maryland and three in New Jersey by the end of the second quarter.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/business/local_business/fulton-financial-to-cut-branches-including-in-lancaster-county/article_10b11eee-8436-11e3-bf19-001a4bcf6878.html

Loans From Reading Sought For Downtown Hotel Project

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The long-planned Doubletree Convention Center Hotel downtown has hit a new snag, and its chief developer – retailer Albert R. Boscov – is asking the city for help.

Boscov told City Council and the administration Monday that the project has lost the $1 million commitment it was counting on from the Lancaster-based Community First Fund.

That fund last week announced it was giving $6 million in federal new markets tax credits to another city project – Shuman Development Co.’s plans for market-rate apartments in the old Big Mill outlets at Eighth and Oley streets – leaving none for the hotel.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=517591

Art Fusion 19464 Annual Holiday Art Show

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Pottstown, PA– Take a peek into The Secret Life of Trees, ArtFusion 19464’s annual holiday show opened November 10 and will be on display in their main gallery through January 5, 2013. The challenge of this show was to interpret the theme of “the secret life of trees.” 38 local artists responded with an amazing breadth of work, from oils and watercolors to recycled sculpture and ceramics. One piece will be awarded a $100 best in show prize, sponsored by Fulton Bank, Pottstown branch. Other show sponsors are: Window Sponsor Dolan & Mayerson, P.C.; NCG, Inc.; Wolf, Baldwin & Associates; and Keller Williams Realty Group.

Participating artists include: Alita Abruzzese, Denise Bennett, Roselyn Cadoff, Mary Chisak, Arline Christ, Richardson Comly, Phillip Compton, Danielle D’Aries, Peter Ehlinger, Cassie Eshelman, Teresa McWilliams Farina, Lisa Foster, Gail Fronheiser, Bob Hakun, Susan Klinger, Mary Kosar, Virginia Gaudiello, Joe Hoover, Millie Lea, Judy Lupas, Ellen Marcus, Charles McCann, Donna Meyers, Geoffrey Meyers, Cari Myford, Harriette Nadler, Beverly Nuzzo, Carol Ross Noyes, Gwendolyn Parrish, Joni Peters, Jackie Pierson, Sue Ploppert, Barbara Rambo, David Ruser, Jodie Scharadin, Dora Siemel, Connie Worth, and Arleen Yeager.

The community is invited to the official opening reception for this show on Friday, December 7 from 5-8pm. This fun event is ArtFusion’s annual holiday party. Refreshments will be served. That evening is also the perfect chance to start your holiday shopping. Although this event is free, ArtFusion does ask that you RSVP to 610-326-2506

Artist Leigh Ritasse will be creating caricatures during the party as a fundraiser for ArtFusion.  A black and white head and shoulders image is only $20. That evening ArtFusion will also be collecting donations of canned goods for a food drive run by the Pottstown Keystone Chapter 565 of Vietnam Veterans. This food will go to local veterans and their families for the holidays. They are asking for non-perishable items like instant potatoes and stuffing, cranberry sauce, cornbread mix, etc.

ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center. The school offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages. The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence. ArtFusion’s gallery hosts rotating shows featuring local artists. The gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm. The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

Fulton Bank’s Expansion Grows By 75 Percent

Plans for Fulton Bank‘s expansion near Lancaster‘s Penn Square may have been delayed by two years, but those plans have also increased in size by 75 percent.

The county’s largest bank now plans an eight-story office building, with a two-level underground parking garage at 23 E. King St.

Project planners on Tuesday provided no cost estimate for the 159.000-square-foot building which will replace the former Sovereign Bank building now on the site.

The building was originally slated for completion in 2013.  In May, Fulton announced it would be begin construction next spring of a 91,000-square-foot, six story building that was due to be completed in spring 2015.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/728196_Fulton-Bank-s-expansion-grows-by-75-percent.html#ixzz25t5BQYml

Reading Phillies Want To Extend Stadium Lease

The Reading Phillies want to extend their lease of the city-owned FirstEnergy Stadium by 16 years to allow the refinancing of a loan that paid in part for the stadium’s recent $10 million makeover.

But City Council first wants to ask R-Phils‘ managing partner Craig Stein if the team is willing to pay more than its current lease that brings the city only $22,000 a year.

The current lease and the loan payments expire in 2021.

Michael Vind, the city’s financial consultant from S&Lutions, told council last week that Fulton Bank had been unwilling to extend the loan beyond the lease, but had to keep the annual payments to what the R-Phils could afford: $278,000 a year.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=390681

Spanish American Civic Association Helping Redevelop And Stabilize Lancaster’s SE Quadrant Neighborhood

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Lancaster’s Spanish American Civic Association (SACA) was formed in 1984 to focus on the purchase and rehabilitation of vacant and blighted homes in Lancaster’s southeast quadrant neighborhood.  This neighborhood is 63 percent rental properties.  Lancaster City is 33.2 percent Hispanic.

The SACA Development Corporation rehabilitates numerous vacant and blighted properties and returns them to the housing market every year.  The new or renovated housing units are affordably priced housing for low or moderate-income families. 

The SACA also provides many other services:  a senior center, meals, employment assistance, case management, HIV/AIDs./HepC counseling/testing, career development, training and adult education, youth programs, drug and alcohol education, student family liaison, behavioral health services, a drug and alcohol treatment facility, adolescent counseling and therapeutic services.

The SACA Development Corporation’s latest project is the near completion of 13 townhouses under their Homeownership Choice Program.  These homes are priced at $99,600.  Twenty-seven other homes were built or converted in two other phases prior to this third phase.  An East Petersburg, PA contractor won the bid so construction was done by a Lancaster County company. 

These are state of the art, energy-efficient homes with every conceivable convenience built in.  Because these homes are new construction in Lancaster City, the owners will benefit from a tax-abatement program and pay lower property taxes.  This third phase of transformation will reduce blight, reduce crime and stabilize the area with homeowners (stakeholders) versus tenants (transient residents).

The Homeownership Choice Program is available through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.  Money also came from the city, the county, the Federal Home Loan Bank in Pittsburgh, PA Department of Community and Economic Development and Neighborhood Assistance program for tax credits.  Lancaster based Fulton Bank was the construction lender. 

Redevelopment really does take a village!

Midtown Harrisburg Becoming Arts And Cultural District: Susquehanna Art Museum Moving To Midtown

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A vacant property is set to become the new home of the Susquehanna Art Museum in Midtown Harrisburg.  Midtown is a neighborhood in transition.  If you recall my 3^rd in the Burg post, I touched on Harrisburg’s emerging arts and cultural scene.  This neighborhood has become a focal point of urban renewal and revitalization by making itself a “destination” that is attracting people to Harrisburg.

Millions of dollars are being poured into Midtown redevelopment.  Creative business owners like Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Midtown Cinema, Midtown Harrisburg Arts Center and a growing list of restaurants and cafés are also leading the way.  The addition of the Susquehanna Art Museum will strengthen the fledgling district and attract more business to the area.  Having events like 3^rd in the Burg already in place will only accelerate revitalization efforts.

Another huge addition to Midtown will be the new federal courthouse that will break ground in 2013.  The $130 million building will bring an influx of workers into the neighborhood that have disposable income to spend on things like food and arts/culture, along with other businesses that will sprout up as the result of all this development.  The site of the new federal courthouse is now a parking lot.

GreenWorks Development has been busy spending redevelopment dollars in Midtown.  They own a large amount of property in the neighborhood, including the new museum site.  In addition to the $50 million they have spent thus far, they plan to spend another $75 million on future projects.  Harrisburg Area Community College and Fulton Bank have already benefited from GreenWorks’ projects.  A four-story Campus Green building, costing $14.3 million, is another project that has benefited Midtown.  GreenWorks is also involved with residential development by creating affordable and market-priced housing in Midtown, which will be critical for Midtown’s continued redevelopment.

Midtown Development has also been a player in this neighborhood’s revitalization efforts by renovating blighted properties.

Local business owners and residents are optimistic.  Most see a bright future for Midtown.  There are always some skeptics and detractors, but the majority of residents see these changes as taking their neighborhood in the right direction.  There is still a long road ahead and things take time, but tangible progress is being made to revitalize Midtown Harrisburg and make it “the place to be” in Pennsylvania’s capital city.

Fulton Bank Asserts Dominance In Lancaster Financial Services Market

Fulton Bank has asserted its dominance in the Lancaster County financial services market and expanded its lead over number two rival Susquehanna Bank.

Fulton Bank has 23.09% of all Lancaster County deposits, up from 21.3% last year.  Fulton increased its lead over rival Susquehanna Bank from 3.37% to 5.14% over last year.  Both banks are based in Lancaster County.  Susquehanna Bank is based in Lititz and Fulton Bank has its headquarters in Lancaster City on historic Penn Square.

Fulton Bank has a branch in Pottstown located at 799 State Street in the Pottstown Plaza shopping center.  Susquehanna Bank maintains a very visible presence downtown Pottstown occupying a 5-story building at the corner of High and Hanover Streets.

Fulton Bank has been named one of the best places to work in Pennsylvania for 2010 in the large company category.  http://www.fultonbank.com/viewpage.asp?n=3

Fulton Bank has just announced plans to expand their corporate headquarters in Lancaster City and add 225 more employees.  The building project will be between $15-$20 million dollars.  To see the details click here: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/300590