Lancaster County planning panel approves 11‑story, 330‑unit downtown redevelopment

The Lancaster County Planning Commission on June 24, 2026, voted 5‑0 to recommend approval of Comprehensive Plan Conformance 260004, clearing the way for an 11‑story, 330‑unit mixed‑use building on the block north of N Street between 10th and 11th streets.

Dan Marvin, Urban Development Department staff, told the commission the application shows "an 11‑story building with 330 residential dwelling units" and noted the site plan includes underground parking for about 95 cars and on‑site bicycle parking. Marvin said staff found the proposal generally consistent with the Lincoln‑Lancaster County 2050 comprehensive plan, the downtown master plan, the Lincoln Center redevelopment plan and related policies encouraging infill and multimodal improvements.

Andrew Willis, representing the developer, described the project as all‑rental (studios, one‑ and two‑bedrooms) with roughly 5,000–10,000 square feet of street‑level retail and said the developer expects about a two‑year construction period if work begins in fall 2028. Willis said the "total cost is about $90 million" and that the "developer request is $13.5 million in tiff" to help make the project financially feasible. He also said an enhanced employment area and further adjacent phases are contemplated but would require separate approvals, including a city council ordinance for any occupation tax or similar measures.

Staff and the Urban Design Committee asked for additional design and materials details; staff said the developer intends to return to the Urban Design Committee in August with revised materials to demonstrate durability before final design approvals proceed.

Commissioners voiced support for the proposal’s alignment with downtown revitalization goals and for the inclusion of affordable units, noting that 10% of the dwelling units are proposed to be affordable to households at 60% of area median income (AMI). After limited discussion and no public testimony, the commission voted 5‑0 to approve the planning commission recommendation to the city council.

Next steps: the developer will return with design revisions to the Urban Design Committee and, if the developer pursues TIF or occupation‑tax measures, those funding and financing requests will require separate city council action.