-Edition
Font Resize
A York Mall facelift that calls for the demolition of one business and makes room for two more is being considered by Springettsbury Township officials.
The last remaining Blockbuster in York, 2801 E. Market St., will be torn down and replaced with a Chick-fil-A, according to Feb. 16 planning commission meeting minutes.
Plans also include construction of a Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar between the Sam's Club gas pumps and Applebee's restaurant along Northern Way.
Township officials and civil engineers working on the project could not confirm a completion date, but Stacey Witalec, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, said Buffalo Wild Wings has six months to have a building in place from the time of its recent application for a liquor license at 105 N. Northern Way.
While that address is nothing more than a parking lot right now, additional plans include site improvements such as streetscape landscaping along East Market Street and Northern Way, sidewalk extensions and traffic light improvements.
The timetable for the project has yet to be finalized, according to Andy Boyd, senior asset manager for THF Realty, a St. Louis-based commercial realty firm that manages York Mall. Chick-fil-A hasn't submitted all of its applications yet, and the plans await approval from township commissioners.
The Springettsbury Township planning commission will vote on the proposal during its meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday. The plan would then be considered by township supervisors in May.
Several meetings have already been
held between township officials and civil engineers working on the project, and a traffic study was conducted more than a year ago.
Previous recommendations on the York Mall proposal have passed unanimously, according to township records and property managers.
Executives with Blockbuster and Chick-fil-A did not return calls for comment, and employees at the East Market Street video store said they were unaware of the plans.
During the last two years, Blockbuster has closed more than half of its stores and filed for bankruptcy. It is now a subsidiary of DISH Network Corp.
If the East Market Street location closes, the closest Blockbuster will be in Lancaster County.
The proposed Chick-fil-A in its place would be the fourth in the area, with one in Shrewsbury, another in the West Manchester Mall and one being planned on Route 30.
-- Reach Candy Wood all at 505-5437 or cwoo dall@yorkdispatch.com.
