Officials in York have toiled for more than two decades to bring development to the Northwest Triangle, a former industrial tract along the Codorus Creek in the city’s northwest corner.
They filled in pieces here and there over the years. On Oct. 10, they celebrated what is likely to be the final piece: a mixed-use project called Heritage Crossings being undertaken by regional real estate developer Statewide Partners.
“This is a really big deal for York and for our community,” Kevin Schreiber, president and CEO of the York County Economic Alliance, said at a groundbreaking for the project.
About 100 people attended the event, which took place on a gravel parking lot in the 200 block of North Beaver Street.
The lot is on the site of the project’s first phase, a 139-unit apartment building with about 20,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.
“This is certainly a milestone, and we’re really excited,” said Josh Juffe, a principal at Statewide. “A lot of hard work has gone into this, and it’s nice to see it begin to take shape.”
When is this happening: Statewide is beginning site preparations now, said Juffe.
The total project is expected to take 19 months, but Juffe said tenants could be moving in within about 14 months. He declined to disclose his firm’s total investment.
Schreiber noted that new housing is desparately needed in York and around the country. “Today, we stand on a real-world example of what solutions look like,” he said.
Plans are still coming together for the remaining three phases, but construction on the second phase could begin in about two years, Juffe said.
The next phases could include a hotel, depending on the success of a recreational sports complex being built in North York by Inch & Co., Juffe said. A hotel could appeal to people visiting the complex for tournaments and other events.
How did we get here: Harrisburg-based Statewide has been developing plans for Heritage Crossings since early 2022, when it was picked by the Redevelopment Authority of the City of York to revitalize the final 4.4 acre tract of the Northwest Triangle.
The apartments will join other projects that have reshaped the area over the last 20 years.
They include the baseball stadium now known as WellSpan Park, a new building for the York Academy Regional Charter School and the Keystone Color Works apartment building.
Blanda Nace, executive director of the city redevelopment authority, described the first phase of Heritage Crossings as “the first phase of the final phase” for the Northwest Triangle.
The precursors: Several plans have come and gone for the remaining 4.4-acre tract where Statewide is building.
They include a proposal to erect a high-tech innovation district focused on robotics. That plan was awarded a $6 million state grant, but the funding now may go to a different project in the city, Nace said.
Statewide is relying entirely on private funding. Its financing partner is Enola-based Members 1st Federal Credit Union.
Public funding supported environmental remediation and other preliminary site work in the Northwest Triangle. The land also is part of a federally qualified Opportunity Zone offering tax breaks to investors.
