In partnership with the York Housing Authority, CONE (Creating Opportunities in Neighborhood Environments), officially opened a 50-unit affordable housing community in York City.
The Homes at Thackston Park II development is located at 320 West College Ave.
“We are excited to officially launch this vital community housing resource, which offers families with limited incomes an affordable and safe place to live,” York Housing Authority’s Executive Director Regina Mitchell who serves as secretary to the board of CONE, said in a statement. “The 50-unit housing development will support sustainability, community connectivity, and the well-being of York City for years to come.”
The demolition and construction for The Homes at Thackston Park II began in February 2022 and was completed by Harkins Builders of Columbia, Maryland. The development features a neo-classic design, including brick exteriors and bay windows that are in line with the prevalent look of homes in the immediate area. The housing complex includes 17 buildings with each building containing two to six units. Varying in size, the units offer residents one to-five-bedroom options along with handicap accessible spaces.
Community areas, off-street parking, and green spaces are added amenities. The Homes at Thackston Park II are located across the street from the award-winning first phase of Thackston I, completing the street scape across the West College Avenue bridge along the Codorus Creek.
The new housing and facilities replace the 32 units of the Codorus Homes Complex, which was the first public housing developed in the City of York more than 60 years ago. CONE secured all federal, state, and local funding required to complete this project. The tax credits and other funds that were used were awarded through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA).
PHFA accessed temporary funding sources from the American Rescue and Recovery Plan to offset increases that stalled the project pipeline during the pandemic and resulting construction supply chain challenges. CONE secured approximately $2 million in additional funding to fill the unforeseen financing gap to proceed to settlement on the $15 million construction contract.
“It was an honor to join together with so many members of the community for the official grand opening of The Homes at Thackston Park II,” Mitchell added. “We look forward to welcoming families into the homes and seeing the positive impact the modern housing development will have on the local community.”
York City is set to host the grand opening of a new affordable housing community.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate The Homes at Thackston Park II is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at 320 West College Avenue.
Creating Opportunities in Neighborhood Environments (CONE) partnered with the York Housing Authority (YHA) on the 50-unit affordable housing complex. Thackston Park II includes 17 buildings with two to six units per building. Varying in size, the units offer residents one-to-five-bedroom options as well as handicap accessible spaces. The housing resource features a neo-classic design, including brick exteriors and bay windows that are in line with the prevalent look of homes in the immediate area.
Community areas, off-street parking, and green spaces are additional amenities. The Homes at Thackston Park II are located across the street from the award-winning first phase of Thackston I, completing the street scape across the West College Avenue bridge along the Codorus Creek.
Demolition and construction for The Homes at Thackston Park II began in February 2022 and was completed by Harkins Builders based out of Columbia, Md.
Representatives from CONE and YHA, including YHA’s Executive Director Regina S. Mitchell, who serves as Secretary to the Board of CONE are scheduled to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening.
The York City Welcoming Communities Grant Program is accepting applications.
The goal of the grant program is to identify and provide financial support to sustainable community events that contribute to creating a welcoming and connected community for all in York City, through diversity, accessibility, and cultural representation, according to Downtown Inc.
Letters of interest for the 2023 grant program will be accepted through Feb. 20.
The Welcoming Communities Grant program is administered by Downtown Inc and is made possible through Better York with the financial support of the Powder Mill Foundation, the York County Community Foundation, and in partnership with the Cultural Alliance of York County.
Grant amounts up to $2,000 will be considered, and the average grant amount is $1,500 or less. A total of $15,000 in grant funds will be allocated in 2023 for events taking place from May 1, 2023 through May 1, 2024 in the City of York.
Bonito Sushi + Ramen to open in Continental Square, York late summer or early fall – PHOTO/PROVIDED
Bonito Sushi + Ramen, owned by O.N.E. Hospitality, plans to open in Continental Square in downtown York late this summer or early fall. Bonito has held several pop-up events over the last 2 years during the pandemic and most recently during Restaurant Week York. The restaurant will be opening permanently on the first floor of the ONE South Boutique Hotel and Venue at 1 South George Street, the company said. This is a new concept from York based O.N.E. Hospitality, the umbrella restaurant group behind more than a dozen food and restaurant brands across York and Lancaster. After opening their flagship farm-to-table restaurant Tutoni’s in York in 2014, the group has gone on to produce several more restaurants and food trucks (The Cantina, Aviano’s Trattoria, The Rig-a-toni Truck) and has most recently introduced a line of quick service restaurants called Presto Fast Italian. “Our group originally found its niche in the farm to table movement. We’re looking forward to sharing our same passion for scratch cooking and great service in a new location with new flavors,” said Toni Calderone, co-owner. “While most of what ONE Hospitality manages are Italian restaurants, we have a few talented chefs that have great experience in well-known Asian restaurants across the Mid-Atlantic region. We’re planning to showcase Japanese flavors in an approachable way and fill a hole in the downtown dining scene,” said Bryan Busch, co-owner. Bonito’s menu will feature many of the dishes that diners have enjoyed during the pop-up events: ramen, sushi, sashimi, dumplings, and more. The location will be BYOB to start with beer and wine available for purchase within walking distance. Construction on the project has already started. In collaboration with Warehaus York and Revolution Contracting, O.N.E. Hospitality Group hopes to welcome guests by the end of summer or early fall. Meanwhile, rooms at the new ONE South Boutique Hotel & Venue upstairs on the third floor are almost complete and the hotel plans to start taking reservations by late summer. “We’re hoping that the multiple floors of ONE South can work in conjunction with one another for rehearsal dinners, weddings, and other special events. Guests can stay right where the action is,” said Calderone.
Rosenmiller building, 33-41 W. Market St., York PHOTO/PROVIDED
The Rosenmiller building in York has been sold to an undisclosed international buyer.
Justin Verner, president, and Brooks Healy, senior advisor, of Harbor Stone Advisors, represented both the buyer and seller of the building, located at 33-41 W. Market St., York. This is the buyers first Pennsylvania acquisition, they said.
The Rosenmiller building features 16 one-bedroom, one-bath apartments, one duplex, and four commercial spaces.
Property amenities include a laundry room, free Wi-Fi for tenants, and 12 surface parking spaces.
The commercial spaces are leased to an all-day breakfast and lunch restaurant, a soft pretzel bakery, and a children’s party venue/toy store.
Previous owners renovated the property in 2010 which included converting the 2nd-4th floors from office space to apartments, Harbor Stone Advisors said in a press release.
The apartment units feature stainless steel/black appliances, wood cabinets, Formica countertops, ceramic tile in bathrooms, and refinished hardwood/bamboo wood flooring.
“Tertiary markets have seen a significant wave of multifamily deal activity in the current cycle, Verner said. “We were able to source an international buyer for this asset, who was seeking more yield than is generally available in larger, East coast metro areas.”
Aviano’s Corner Trattoria & Bar re-opened Thursday at 101 S. Duke St. in York after being forced to close in mid-March last year due to the pandemic.
Aviano’s is a trattoria: a casual, affordable Italian restaurant. The menu features wood fired pizza, fresh pasta, paninis, espresso, and more.
Owners Toni Calderone and Allison Witherow first opened Aviano’s after transforming the space from the Taste Test Restaurant Incubator, a community project that presented over 35 unique aspiring restaurant concepts to York.
The duo originally started working together in 2014 on developing Toni’s first restaurant, Tutoni’s, and kept building from there with The Cantina restaurant and bar next door to Aviano’s.
“Aviano’s is kind of the opposite of our flagship restaurant, Tutoni’s. There we’ve done a great job educating the public on higher end, authentic Italian food. Yet we still get requests for what folks have come to love about Italian American restaurants- things like alfredo, spaghetti, and pizza. Aviano’s is a place where we can have fun offering these crowd favorites at approachable price points in a family friendly atmosphere. Tutoni’s and Aviano’s will still have one thing in common: everything will be scratch made. We want to continue to deliver a unique experience to each guest,” said Toni Calderone, co-owner.
“We’ve been involved in this neighborhood for a while and can’t wait to see it reach its full potential in advance of the Yorktowne Hotel re-opening. The district will be poised and ready with great galleries and a fun indoor-outdoor arts and entertainment hub. At Aviano’s and The Cantina, we’ll do our part in making sure there is great, affordable food and drink to go with it,” said co-owner Allison Witherow.
The Easter Bunny will be coming to Christ Lutheran and hiding eggs for kids up to 12 years old. This event will also include free photos with the Easter Bunny featuring a special photo backdrop, movies, crafts, music, games and food. Friday night fun for the whole family! We will also have non-food treats for children with food allergies. We offer free off street parking.
The Easter Bunny will be coming to Christ Lutheran and hiding eggs for kids up to 12 years old. This event will also include free photos with the Easter Bunny featuring a special photo backdrop, movies, crafts, music, games and food. Friday night fun for the whole family! We will also have non-food treats for children with food allergies. We offer free off street parking.
Kiva Capital Access Managers Sharee McFadden and Skyler Yoast have formed a go-between for local startups to access capital investment through Kiva’s global network. – PHOTO/JUSTIN HENRY
The city of York formed a partnership with international lending website Kiva to bring crowd-funded microloans to the city’s start-up and small business community.
Kiva provides zero-interest microloans from $1,000 to $10,000 with a focus on business community populations that have been historically underserved or struggle to access capital investment. Through Kiva’s lending platform, local borrowers would be able to access funds loaned from other York community members and gain exposure to 1.7 million potential customers and investors across the globe.
Rather than assessing the creditworthiness of borrowers based on a credit score like conventional commercial lenders, Kiva qualifies loan applicants based on their “social credit,” an assessment of “character” and “reputation” by peer organizations.
York city officials say the partnership is meant to spur economic growth by making investment and lending opportunities accessible to small business entrepreneurs and underrepresented groups in the businesses community.
“We recognize the need to provide equitable economic opportunities to our women- and minority-owned businesses, as well as new entrepreneurs who live on moderate to low income,” said York Mayor Michael Helfrich at a Tuesday press conference. “Kiva is one of the ways we are addressing this.”
As a Kiva Hub, York assumes responsibility and control over the Kiva loan product and processes for borrowers within the local market by working with a pair of York-based “Capital Access Managers.” York City Eco-System Builder Skyler Yost and Economic Development Specialist Sharee McFadden are York’s Capital Access Managers, who said they form the liaison between the city and Kiva.
“We will be working with borrowers on the back-end of Kiva’s system to ensure that their loan applications meet Kiva’s requirements as closely as possible before they go to Kiva for underwriting,” Yost said.
PNC Bank introduced York’s city officials to Kiva after noticing the success of the Kiva Hub Project in its other regional markets, such as the Baltimore metro region, said Jim Hoehn, regional president of PNC Bank in central Pennsylvania.
Kiva is in its first six months of launching the Kiva Hub strategy to make capital more accessible to small businesses borrowers by partnering Capital Access Managers with city governments, according to Yost. York’s position as the only Kiva Hub in central Pennsylvania as well as the smallest of 18 hubs gives it a pioneering role to set the standard for the program’s ability to be exported to similar small cities, Yost and Hoehn said.
“We know the importance of small business to the region, and one of the challenges for them is access to capital,” Hoehn said.
David L. Bode, managing partner at Rock Commercial Real Estate LLC (Photo: Submitted)
ROCK Commercial Real Estate in York recently helped complete 13 sale and lease transactions in Central Pennsylvania involving more than 53,000 square feet of real estate space.
The announced sales involved two properties:
GFY of Colliers County VIII LLC purchased a 7,711-square-foot office property at 1224 S. Queen St., York, from Martin Real Estate Association LP for $350,000. David Bode of ROCK represented the seller.
Molt LLC purchased a 7,200-square-foot mixed-use property at 1771 E. Market St. in Springettsbury Township from KHAASJ LLC for $280,000. David Bode and Ben Bode of ROCK brokered the transaction.
Eleven leases were handled by ROCK:
Major Kline LLC leased 7,200 square feet of office space at 207 Redco Ave., Red Lion, from 207 Redco LLC. Jason Turnbull of ROCK brokered the transaction.
Michael Redmond and Michael DeBlasi leased 1,300 square feet of retail space at 211-219 York St., Hanover, from Eagles Nest Investments LLC. Stacey Ankrum and Nate Resh of ROCK brokered the transaction.
Better Day Books leased 290 square feet of retail space at 1380 Spahn Ave., Spring Grove Township, from VisionCorps. Heather Kreiger and Ankrum of ROCK brokered the transaction.
Groff North America Hemplex LLC leased 11.5 acres at 401 E. Broadway, Red Lion, from Rexroth Equities LP. Turnbull brokered the transaction.
RHI US Ltd. leased 20,000 square feet of industrial space at 2830 Woodberry Rd., West Manchester Township, from the Joyce A. Gilbert Revocable Trust. John Birkeland of ROCK brokered the transaction.
Aigul Bodnar leased 1,535 square feet of office space at 130 E. Chestnut St., Lancaster, from East Chestnut LLC. Ankrum represented the tenant in the transaction.
Ann Shorb leased 276 square feet of office space at 211 Carlisle St., Hanover, from 213 Investors. Resh and Damian Reed of ROCK brokered the transaction.
Progressive Publishing Services leased 3,000 square feet of office space at 555 Ryan Run Rd., Manchester Township, from Ryan Run Properties LP. David Bode, Ben Bode and Birkeland brokered the transaction.
Vigilnet America LLC leased 1,436 square feet of office space at 1 E. Market St., York, from Equity Trust Company. Damian Reed and Matt Czaus of ROCK brokered the transaction.
J.R. McKinley leased 2,460 square feet of warehouse space at 3331 Gulton Rd., West Manchester Township, from Gulton Rd LLC. Ted Turnbull and Jason Turnbull brokered the transaction.
JJ Massage Therapy leased 1,459 square feet of office space at 1681 Kenneth Rd., West Manchester Township, from MM Real Estate. David Bode and Resh brokered the transaction.
Brothers Sean, left and Matt Landis, owners of Fat Daddy’s nightclub, presented plans Wednesday to transform the former Citizens Bank building in downtown York into a music venue called The Treasury
The Landis brothers are forging ahead with plans to open a new nightclub in York City, but the fate of their proposed venue hinges on the approval of a liquor license.
Matt and Sean Landis, who currently own Fat Daddy’s nightclub in Springettsbury Township, are working toward finalizing the purchase of the old Citizens Bank building at 1 N. George St. from the York City Redevelopment Authority. The price is $450,000, according to Matt Landis.
The 20,000 square-foot building, which has sat vacant on Continental Square since 2012, is the proposed location for a club the Landis brothers plan to call “The Treasury.” The total cost of the project is estimated at over $4 million, according to Matt Landis.
However, the brothers are putting a new twist on their proposal as they await word on whether they will get a liquor license. They are seeking not only to add to nightlife in York, they want their club to serve as a booster for the arts scene, Matt Landis said.
That’s why they plan to partner with Weary Arts Group, a York-based company that provides arts education and training to students in York County schools. The Landis brothers are also partnering with York College’s music industry studies program to give aspiring local musicians and artists an opportunity to gain real-world experience.
Calvin Weary, Weary Arts CEO, said he was approached by the Landis brothers several months go about the possibility of using The Treasury for his arts program.
“There is a lot of downtime at a nightclub, so it could be used for other purposes,” said Weary, who said there are few places in York where aspiring musicians can perform. He hopes The Treasury will change that.
Weary Arts currently runs a program that allows participants ages 5 and up to form rock bands. It’s popular not only among students but also former musicians who ended up in traditional careers, Weary said.
If and when the club opens, rock bands from Weary’s program would be invited to perform on stage. They also would learn about setting up a stage, working with lighting and sound and other steps that go into a music performance, he said.
In the future, the nightclub could also be used for dance performances and to showcase the fine arts, although plans for such endeavors have not been fleshed out, Weary said.
“I think they have an idea and I want to play a part in it,” Weary said.
Weary Arts won’t be the only entity digging up local acts for The Treasury.
York College’s music industry studies program also has been invited to use the club, according to Shawn Young, director of music industry studies at York College.
A rendering of the completed band room at The Treasury. (Photo: Submitted)
Each year York College students in music industry studies have the chance to play in a cover band devoted to classic rock and pop music or a tribute band that covers the music of one particular band, Young said.
Students in the rock band would be invited to perform on stage at the club, while other students in the program would be able to intern there. The internships would provide students with firsthand experience in marketing, booking, stage lighting and audio engineering, Young said.
The Treasury is still in the process of finalizing a purchase agreement with the RDA, however, and the brothers are currently awaiting approval from York City Council before obtaining a liquor license for the property.
Council’s decision is not without controversy: Council delayed its vote after city residents packed a March 19 public hearing to express both support for and concerns about the nightclub. City council has 60 days from March 19 to approve or reject the application, according to Dianna Thompson-Mitchell, York City clerk.
The Landis brothers were not at the hearing but were represented by an attorney, Erica Townes, of the Barley Snyder law firm, which has an office in York.
During the meeting, 10 residents spoke in favor of the proposed nightclub, while five shared concerns over its potential impact on quality of life and safety.
Jerri Worley said that she lives close to the building and is worried about the noise level when large crowds leave late at night.
“What are they going to do about the noise?” she said.
City resident Ellen Russel had similar concerns.
“This may negatively impact the quality of life in the city. I just don’t think this is the proper venue for a large nightclub,” she said.
In an email a week after the meeting, Matt Landis addressed residents’ concerns about the potential for excessive noise and safety issues.
“We have worked with the best designers in the market to bring a sound-engineered venue. Our team has also spent the past year fully vetting our security, safety and complete venue plan with the police department, fire department and local economic entities,’ he said.
A rendering of the rooftop bar at The Treasury. (Photo: Submitted)
Matt Landis said that he and his brother have also spent the past year meeting with property owners, city officials and businesses.
“As we finalize plans, we will also be finalizing adequate staffing for all positions. At this time, we cannot provide absolute numbers on the total number of employees to be hired,” Matt Landis said.
The brothers have hired York-based Core Design Group to work on the design and sound engineering and York-based Wagman Construction Inc. But their plans are on hold until the York City council votes on their liquor license application, according to Mandy Arnold, a spokesperson for the Landis brothers.
If the liquor license is approved, they will move forward with the first phase of their project, which will involve transforming the inside of the building into a casual restaurant, live performance space and dance floor, according to Matt Landis. The second phase will include renovating the rooftop for events and dining.
If the license is approved and the brothers are able to proceed with the project, they believe the venue could open by late 2019, according to Matt Landis.
Memorial Health Fund, a supporting organization of the York County Community Foundation, has awarded a $525,000 grant to Family First Health. The funds will support a community outreach program designed to reduce low birth weight rates in metro York.
The program, “Pathways to a Healthy Pregnancy,” will hire and train community health workers to conduct outreach to expectant mothers and connect them with resources to ensure a healthy start for their children.
“Through this grant, we will be able to offer jobs to four members of the York City community and provide them with the necessary training to guide expectant mothers in need of resources for a healthy pregnancy,” said Jennifer Englerth, chief executive officer of Family First Health, in a recent press release. “By working through respected members of the community we are serving, we will have a deeper understanding of the barriers to care they face. This will be the first intervention of its type in the region.”
The City of York has a low birth weight rate of 11.5 percent, compared to the York County rate of 8 percent. In the City of York, approximately 200 babies are born preterm or with a low birth weight each year.
Children born with low birth weights face challenges throughout their development which ultimately affects the community both socially and economically. The societal cost of low birthweight babies is estimated at over $26 billion annually nationwide, according to the March of Dimes. The investment in this program is a fraction of the cost of one stay in a neonatal unit for one premature baby. Through this grant, Memorial Health Fund and Family First Health seek to reduce that cost in York.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Sign In
Free Newsletter
The York City Welcoming Communities Grant Program is accepting applications.
