Community Interest
Historic East Side Provides Easy Downtown Living
Meeder is a Realtor and Developer of Downtown Lancaster properties that specializes in revitalizing and bringing back life to blighted properties.
“It’s not just throwing apartments into old buildings. We completely reconstructed them… The first choice is never demolition.”
- John Meeder of Meeder Development Corp.
After learning about the transformation of the Historic East Side we asked John Meeder, “What is the question you continuously ask yourself when working on a project like the Historic East Side?”
John responded by saying, “The question I like to answer is, can you make something work economically and maintain the fabric of the building?” We found that the answer, for John Meeder, was a resounding “YES”, especially when referring to his most recent development of the Historic East Side.
Meeder Development Corp. and partner Wohlsen Construction Company have successfully transformed the Historic East Side apartments into upscale condominiums, all while maintaining their 19th-century character.
Let’s take a look at the location, the history, and the condos behind Meeder’s most recent development!
The Location
The condos are prime real estate, not only because of their indoor and outdoor appearance and amenities, but also their location. The Historic East Side gives its residents a taste of both vibrant city living and peaceful seclusion thanks to its location on both King Street and Grant Street.
When touring the newly renovated East Side we asked John, “What is the greatest amenity of the condos?”
John quickly responded, stating that “Our greatest amenity is the downtown itself.” Hearing that John had as much pride in our downtown community as we do, brought us plenty of joy.
John went on to say, “One of the most unique aspects of this particular property is that residents park off of Grant Street and enter the buildings on the Grant Street side. The King Street side of the building is a bustling little block. The storefronts in this mixed-use property are an added bonus, offering convenient services to condominium residents as well as the greater community. But when you enter from Grant Street, during most times of the year, you are greeted by the sounds of nature. It’s just a beautiful, quiet little neighborhood. It’s like an oasis.”
The History
Although much had to be reconstructed, pieces of their history remain, including several staircases and wood trim. Also, the common areas have been enhanced with colorized historic photos of East King Street.
We asked John if there were any unique finds when rehabilitating the property. John shared that workers for Wohlsen Construction Company discovered a piece of its own history. Written on the back of a door molding were the words “H Wohlsen Company,” providing evidence of the work their company completed when working on the property prior to 1900.
“It was quite a find and very rewarding for the Wohlsen team,” Meeder commented.
The Condos
The Historic East Side is a mixed-use property. In total, the Historic East Side boasts 17 residential condominium units, 14 of which will be offered for sale in 2019. In addition to the residential condos, there are 7 storefronts on East King Street and 2 office condos that are being retained by the development entity.
The upgraded condominiums, mostly two-bedroom units ranging in size from 987 to 1,872 square feet, have been brought back to a high standard with plenty of new features. These new features include new hardwood flooring, stainless-steel kitchen appliances, new washers and dryers, Wi-Fi programmable thermostats, accent lighting, and more.
Additional amenities that some units feature are private outdoor decks or patios, front and rear security cameras, two-stories that allow for two private decks, the option of purchasing additional parking lot spaces, refurbished common areas featuring colorized historic photos, an abundance of windows—offering plenty of light in both front and rear views. A limited number of units include either a private garage or a carport and are priced accordingly. Two units have the capability of adding a private rooftop deck on top of the building with an outstanding view of the city.
Of the 14 available units, half are completely refinished and move-in ready and half are in various stages of the upgrading process. Prices range from $237,000 to $550,000.
Meeder is a Realtor and Developer of Downtown Lancaster properties that specializes in revitalizing and bringing back life to blighted properties. They would be happy to show you the Historic East Side Condominiums. Own a part of history! View the East Side listings and others at meedcor.com/meedcor-realty.
Feel free to call 717-394-9500 or email john@meedcor.com for an appointment.
