Somebody will buy and develop York’s former Cobblestone’s bar and nightclub — a building that could be made into “a real focal point for the southern part of the city,” a real-estate official predicted.
But the developer won’t be Jose Estremera of York, who had been planning to turn the building that had housed Cobblestone’s at 205-209 S. George St., York, into a nightclub.
Estremera “just couldn’t come up with the funds,” so a deal with him fell through and the building has been put back on the market, John Birkeland, brokerage adviser for York’s Rock Commercial Real Estate, said Friday.
But Birkeland is still enthusiastic about the building, saying it could easily become a top musical, theatrical or other event venue.
“It’s a tremendous old property. It simply couldn’t be replicated today,” Birkeland said of the Cobblestone’s building, also a former Knights of Columbus headquarters.
He envisions a potential recording studio on the second floor, and “the kitchen is huge, as big as any hotel kitchen I’ve ever been in, with plenty of banquet potential,” Birkeland added. “It’s just a matter of someone having the vision and the drive to bring it back.”
Before he had to back out, Estremera was planning to turn the property into a nightclub to be called “Club Laser,” had placed a deposit on the building and was to buy it for $361,000, Birkeland also said Friday.
The property is listed with Rock for $375,000, Birkeland said.
Each section of York City has been defined by development projects that revived the area, and Birkeland believes a top-notch project at the Cobblestone’s building could do the same for the southern part of the city.
“The other parts have had their great developments, now it’s a great opportunity for the south side,” he said.
The current owner of the Cobblestone’s building, 205 Associates LLC, had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this year, Birkeland said.
The Cobblestone’s building has been closed since a last concert was held there this past summer, the real-estate official added.
