Camp Hill developer wrapping up first phase, prepping for next stage of Market Street redevelopment

A West Shore redevelopment project is beginning to live up to its name as the work begins to shift to the next phase of construction.

Smith Land & Improvement Corp. is developing the project, located on the south side of the 1800 block of Market Street in Camp Hill and dubbed Neighbors & Smith. It recently moved three boutique businesses into the project’s first building at 1801 Market St.

Rick Jordan III, president and CEO of the Camp Hill-based company, said up to five more retail and office tenants could become neighbors for those three shops — Little Black Dress, One Good Woman and Underneath It All.

The developer is planning a grand opening celebration from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday to commemorate the first phase of the project. Jordan said he hopes to soon finalize remaining leases for that space and begin tenant fit-outs.

As that work unfolds, Smith Land is gearing up for a July demolition of remaining buildings near Market and South 19th streets to make way for the second part of the project. The redevelopment plan calls for 40,000 square feet of retail and office space spread across two connected two-story buildings with ground-level retail.

In 2017, Smith Land acquired the former Nino’s Bistro restaurant at 1801 Market St., along with all connected properties at 1845, 1847 and 1849 Market Street. Last year, the developer acquired another neighboring property at 17 S. 19th St. to expand parking for Neighbors & Smith.

All of the buildings have to be razed to make room for the new buildings.

Jordan said the second phase of building construction should begin this fall and the goal is to have the next building under roof by the end of the year and ready for tenants by the first quarter of 2020.

He is targeting four retail shops for the second phase of the development, along with second-story office users. The total office space is about 10,000 square feet.

In addition to the shops and offices, Smith Land wants to build a restaurant on the corner of the site that abuts South 19th Street.

The Market Street corridor is lined with mostly local merchants and restaurants, many of them owned by women. Jordan intends to attract more of the same to fill out the rest of the center. His current tenants are all woman-owned businesses.

Jordan said his goal is to be fully occupied at Neighbors & Smith by the end of 2020.