A track loader operator clears rubble from the corner of East College Avenue and South George Street. The site will house a 28-townhouse complex. (Bill Kalina photo)

Dumpsters and rubble surrounded by chain-link fence mar the view from the windows of Crown Fried Chicken.

On Friday, owner Nesar Ahmed said he wasn't sure what the bulldozers were doing across the street from his 240 S. George St. restaurant.

But he was happy to hear the York City neighborhood blemish -- a mostly empty lot for years -- would soon be transformed into a 28-unit complex of townhouses for rent.

Could that mean more customers?

"I would think so," Ahmed said.

The York YMCA and a Cleveland-based development company are behind the $7.5 million project known as George Street Commons, a new complex of two- and three-bedroom townhouses that will be available to individuals or families with income levels at or below 60 percent of the county median.

The project includes the reconstruction of the Green Grocery store at 247 S. George St., which will sell fresh meats, fruits and vegetables from local sources in exchange for low rent.

Officials have said construction, which started a few weeks ago, is expected to take about 14 months.

The project area is bordered by South George Street and East College, East Hope and South Court avenues.

'Good news': Around the corner, William Prescott said he's hoping the new construction will "clean up the area."

Prescott, 26, said he moved into his 135-year-old home on South Duke Street about six

months ago. He's planning to spend the next few years fixing up the property so he can sell it for a profit.

Improvements to the neighborhood can only mean higher property values, Prescott said.

"It is good news for me," he said.

Scott Fix, co-owner of Check Cashing Plus, said he's been keeping an interested eye on the construction project across the street from his 300 S. George St. business. Most of his customers live within a few blocks, he said.

"That's terrific," Fix said. "I think the more people that live in the area, the better chance you have to gain new customers."

For Young Sol, the townhouse project is proving a bit of an inconvenience. The owner of Golden George Beauty Supply said she and her customers have for years used the empty lot for parking.

But that's OK, Sol said. She and a contractor were going over plans Friday to expand the business's rear parking lot. And, she's expecting more customers when the new residents move in.

"I'm looking forward to it," she said.

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