The Redevelopment Authority of the County of York (RACY), in partnership with the York County Economic Alliance (YCEA), announces the acquisition of the former federal post office at 200 South George Street in the City of York, paving a path for future redevelopment.
Originally opened in 1911, the 57,428 square-foot building has large iconic marble columns facing South George Street, a large interior atrium, two-stories of marble floor office space, and more than 50 parking spaces behind the building. The US Postal Service sold the property to a private owner in 2013, when it relocated its downtown post office to 160 W. Market St. Despite a number of redevelopment proposals in the last decade, the building has been primarily used for storage.
“This is an exciting moment for Downtown York,” shared Jonathan Desmarais, an affiliate of the YCEA. “Public ownership of the post office allows the community to guide the building’s future redevelopment and ensure its eventual use adds value to our downtown community and catalyzes the revitalization of this important section of South George Street.”
YCEA and RACY secured acquisition funding from a number of philanthropic organizations and individuals, all of whom are committed to protecting and preserving this historic property, and supporting its historic redevelopment. Additional support to secure the property was provided by ROCK Real Estate, True Commercial Real Estate, Royal Square Development & Construction (RSDC), and the City of York.
“RACY is pleased to partner with the YCEA and other community leaders to acquire the iconic post office and hold it for redevelopment,” said RACY Chairman Tom Englerth. “In recent years, RACY has assisted with the redevelopment of the McAllister Hotel and Plaza 34 in Hanover and Keystone Kidspace in the City of York. This is a similar landmark structure with transformational potential for the South George Street corridor, and our City of York.”
Terms of the acquisition included an 18-month lease back period, during which the previous property owner will remove stored inventory, and vacate the premise. During this period, YCEA and RACY will explore future uses, potential anchor tenants, funding strategies and development partners to assist in transforming the former post office into a complementary community asset. To aid in the redevelopment, in August, the YCEA submitted a $5 million Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program application to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a potential grant award later this year.
“The South George Street Post Office is an iconic building in York City. So many Yorkers have fond memories of the building, and I am excited to see a new life for this underutilized property on the horizon,” said Mayor Michael Helfrich.
YCEA Chair of the Board Jeff Vermeulen added, “The significance of this property’s redevelopment was called out in the City’s 2020 Downtown Action Plan. This is a great reminder that these plans don’t just sit on shelves, and a great example of community collaboration to make things happen.”
Inquiries regarding redevelopment of the property or partnership with YCEA or RACY can be addressed to YCEA’s Vice President of Economic & Community Development Silas Chamberlin at schamberlin@yceapa.org.
