Three founding members of the rock band Live, who reappeared recently on the York City scene, intend to carve a state-of-the-art recording studio from the walls and floors of a former city factory.

Building plans submitted to York City planning officials show the building's top two floors reserved for rehearsal and studio space, several apartment suites, memorabilia storage and a gym.

"It'll be a world-class recording studio, probably one of the top five recording studios in the world," said Bill Hynes, a Northampton County investor who is an equal partner in Think Loud Development with Live musicians Chad Taylor, Chad Gracey and Patrick Dahlheimer.

"If another band does come in, we have space to just have them there," Hynes said.

Live, founded by four graduates of William Penn Senior High School, achieved international success in the 1990s with the release of their album Throwing Copper. The band reunited with a new lead singer earlier this year by playing a show at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center.

The studio is one part of Think Loud's multi-

million-dollar redevelopment project at the former Maple Press and Bi-Comp Inc. building on York Street. The development team has plans to transform the space into the headquarters for a yet-to-be-named technology company.

Think Loud bought the property in December for $164,000 and announced its plans at a press conference in January. Hynes said a non-disclosure agreement is still in effect and prevents him from naming the company.

Between the York location and another in Reading, the company is expected to create about 170 jobs -- mostly in York, Hynes said. Construction should be complete before next summer, he added.

As for the studio, "the plans would be to write and record music," Hynes said.

The band will also use the studio for its record label and select clients. Hynes said he expects the studio to create as many as a dozen jobs from security to housekeeping to studio techs.

"These guys have a 27-year career in music and they're not stopping," he said. "They're not making a studio to retire."

But why in York?

"Why not in York?" Hynes said.

-- Erin James may also be reached at ejame s@yorkdispatch.com.