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The Rudy Art Glass Building in York has been sold to Grotto Commons for a co-workspace.
The building complex at 15-23 E. Philadelphia St., was home to the family-owned and operated architectural and decorative glass fabricator, Rudy Art Glass, and prior to that was the longtime location of The York Dispatch.
The building has been for sale since 2020. The sale, managed by TRUE Commercial Real Estate Broker Ben Chiaro, officially closed Nov. 15. Terms were not disclosed.
“I have been consulting with sellers Steve Mitchell and Matt Mitchell for nearly 10 years in preparation for their disposition of 15 East Philadelphia Street, as it was becoming increasingly less conducive to efficiently operating their art glass business from this historic, multi-level manufacturing building,” said Chiaro.
“They felt that relocating would not only allow them to streamline their business, but also to allow one of downtown York’s highest-trafficked corners to be repositioned to be a significant contributor to increased density, foot traffic, and economic impact,” he said. “The sale of the property to Grotto Community Benefit truly fulfills the seller’s desire to allow the building to be the next catalyst for growth in downtown York.”
Grotto Community Benefit said the co-workspace, which opened in the Rupp Building, 2 West Market St. in 2019 has outgrown its space and now has a waitlist.
“York is the perfect place to start something new,” said Chelsea Foster, co-founder and board president of The Grotto. “The Commons will provide the community with a supportive space for their endeavors to thrive.”
Phase 1 construction on The Grotto’s 20,000 square feet of space is expected to take about a year.
“It’s exciting that we can bring new life to a building that has been such a focal point of our community,” said David Bradley, Grotto Community Benefit board member, who has several years of experience rehabilitating historic structures. “I want to see it become a space where interesting things happen.