When: Lancaster City Council committee meeting, Nov. 6. Council member Janet Diaz was absent.
What happened: Several community leaders made presentations asking the city to submit local share grant applications to the state on their organizations’ behalf. One request would help turn Price Elementary School, 615 Fairview Ave., into Lancaster Recreation Commission’s new community center.
Price Elementary plans: The School District of Lancaster is completing a feasibility study on a replacement school for Price, with plans likely relocating the new building farther back from Fairview Avenue and directing school traffic onto Hazel Street, said Heather Dighe, Lancaster Rec’s executive director. Once that study is complete, a property transfer agreement is expected to go before the school board and city council, she said. Lancaster Rec expects to obtain ownership of the building in June 2024 with the goal of moving its offices there in January 2025 and running programs by the summer of 2025, she said.
Other funds: Council awarded $750,000 of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the new center. The $1 million that Lancaster Rec is asking of the state is the highest amount that can be distributed through the program run through the Commonwealth Financing Authority. Municipalities make those requests on behalf of organizations.
More Lancaster City Council News:
- Lancaster City Council to reallocate $2 million in ARPA funds after developer backs out
- Lancaster City Council to submit grant applications for 8 local organizations asking for $5.5 million in funding
Background: Council heard in early October from eight organizations seeking local share grants and later voted to submit applications for those — including one that would fund a new roof for Long’s Park Amphitheater. Council will vote Nov. 14 on whether to submit this latest batch of requests. Eligibility for the grants is largely focused on renovations and the state will award about $200 million this year, said Jenn Orantes, the city’s grant coordinator.
Why it matters: Presentations gave a glimpse at significant projects underway in the city. Requests are as follows.
Ebenezer Baptist Church: The church is requesting $146,000 for upgrades at its campus, which prepares meals for people in need and offers low-barrier shelter, which means people can stay with minimal restrictions. “There are so many needs in our city,” said senior pastor Roland Forbes. “And we want to be known as the church that met the needs of Lancaster County and Lancaster City that we might be able to share what we’ve been blessed with.”
Lancaster Food Hub: This organization, founded in 1947 and previously known as the Lancaster County Council of Churches, is asking for $521,000 toward renovations at a large warehouse the organization partially renovated about nine years ago. “There’s only one floor left in our building that we can expand into,” said Paige McFarling, executive director. She said demand is rising for food, clothing and shelter.
The Mix: This organization on North Street is requesting $278,000. The Mix at Arbor Place — which provides structured after-school and summer programs — needs HVAC, lighting and security upgrades.
Spanish American Civic Association: SACA Development Corp. is seeking $1 million to use toward a roughly $3.7 million expansion of Nuestra Clinica. Jose Lopez, SACA’s CEO, said the funds will expand a drug and alcohol treatment program, increasing capacity from an existing 26 beds to an eventual 40, with the intention of branching beyond its current Spanish-only curriculum to a bilingual option.
Tenfold: Tenfold is requesting $1 million toward a planned renovation of its TLC Shelter on East King Street to include replacing the 113-year-old building’s deteriorated utility systems and 97-year-old elevator. TLC typically serves 150 to 200 people each year, including 70 to 100 children, according to a letter provided to council by Phyllis Stacks, Tenfold’s senior campaign director.
Union Community Care: This medical care provider — with locations in Denver, Ephrata, Lancaster, Lebanon and New Holland — is asking for $500,000 toward renovations to the former Groff Event Center on West Orange Street. The plan is to move Union’s administrative offices there and open a health care center that would fold in services currently offered by Union on Prince Street and New Holland Avenue. The first phase includes offices costing about $5 million with a target opening by the end of 2024. The second phase includes the medical center space to be completed by the end of 2026 at an unknown cost.
YWCA: The organization with a building on North Lime Street is requesting $694,776 toward ongoing renovations. A pool and locker rooms have been demolished to make way for office and meeting space, particularly for the organization’s sexual assault, prevention and counseling center.
Also: If council votes to submit the application, the city itself will make a $1 million request from the Local Share program to help fund the city’s sidewalk repair program. Community Action Partnership and Church World Services withdrew their requests to apply for the grants and council did not discuss them.
