Project Profile
Liberty Place is an excellent example of preservation through reuse and adaptation. Located in the northwest quadrant of Lancaster City, the site is included in the North Prince Street corridor revitalization and is located within the boundaries of the James Street Improvement District.
Built in 1927, Liberty Place contains such details as beautiful mahogany doors and chair rails, marble floors, and black walnut paneling. These features are being preserved and enhanced by new lighting and carpeting throughout the common areas of the building. Liberty Place is also connected to a T-1 line so any business tenant in the building has immediate access to high speed internet. This unique combination of traditional, stately elegance meeting today's cutting edge technology is attractive to businesses coming into the area or making a move within the city.
The Drogaris Companies is firmly committed to the principles of building preservation and reuse of this former office building and has breathed new life into a building that was once a hub of employment and activities for Armstrong World Industries. Without The Drogaris Companies creative vision, the site would undoubtedly have become a vacant shell. Instead, with a careful eye toward preserving the buildings timeless architectural details, The Drogaris Companies has transformed Liberty Place into a key component of the overall revitalization plan for Lancaster City.
In addition to over 200,000 square feet of customized renovated commercial and office space being the current address of nearly 45 businesses, Liberty Place also contains an 18,000 square foot theater and conference facility, which is regularly booked for community events and fundraisers for such organizations as the Untied Way, the Literary Guild, Neighborhood Services and the Susquehanna Association for the Blind. The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry uses the facility for their semi-annual Job Fairs and annual Business Expo mixers. The Theater of the Seventh Sister annually perform Shakespeare plays for approximately 1,200 area high school students who may not have an opportunity to see live theatrical performances.
Liberty Place represents the epitome of positive preservation and reuse, while contemporizing the technology and business tools required in today's business environment.
Project Merits
Location - Liberty Place is located at 313 West Liberty Street, located in the northwest quadrant of Lancaster City and is included in the North Prince Street corridor revitalization and falls within the boundaries of the James Street Improvement District. Also, located convenient to three forms of public transportation: Northwest Quarter Amtrak, the Red Rose Transit Authority (RRTA) public bus system, and most recently the RRTA new downtown trolley program of which Liberty Place was a key figure in the formation of the program.
Building Design - As the former Armstrong World Industries headquarters, part of the ambiance of executive culture included mahogany doors and chair rails, marble floors, and black walnut wall paneling. All of these characteristics have been preserved and contribute to the traditional executive atmosphere as contemporary businesses continue to progress in today's marketplace.
Building Environmental Impact - The building is replacing all high energy consuming light bulbs and fixtures with energy efficient designs in conjunction with state of the art HVAC control systems to also contribute to maximum energy efficiency.
Site & Landscape Design - Compared to the existing property that consisted of large expanses of macadam with a minimalist philosophy towards landscaping, Liberty Place has placed a specific emphasis on maximizing the natural landscape by increasing the amount of impervious surface and designing a aesthetic and functional boulevard.
Innovative Policies - Numerous zoning variances were sought to effectively make this project happen in regards to environmental remediation and restoration.
Liberty Place is included as part of the North Prince Street Corridor revitalization plan and is located within the boundaries of the James Street Improvement District.
Liberty Place is expected to serve as the anchor for the Northwest Employment Campus, a vision of The Lancaster Campaign. The 60-acre, triangle-shaped area is targeted for business development.
The Drogaris Companies implemented a streetscape boulevard as part of the Liberty Place entry corridor and included several "traffic calming" implements such as narrower lanes, elevated crosswalks, and "bulb outs" that narrow the roadway at intersections. The Liberty Street boulevard is designed to also connect in the long term with the Harrisburg Pike and Franklin & Marshall College creating another much needed route in and out of the city.
Liberty Place has long represented a hub of commerce, community, and recreation and our plan of restoring the building will once again make it a key landmark for Lancaster business. By maintaining the 650-seat combination theatre and banquet hall's functionality, The Drogaris Companies will effectively retain the integrity and symbolism of the buildings long-documented link to the community.
Anytime an existing structure is reused, surrounding land and resources are preserved. The Drogaris Companies believes that not only should Lancaster County's picturesque Dutch countryside be conserved, but also maintain its function as farmland to continue the traditional lifestyles that draw so many. Creatively re-using buildings in historic Lancaster city, is one way The Drogaris Companies carryout this vision. By adaptively taking existing structures and revamping them into functional, contemporary environments we effectively preserve the best Lancaster has to offer. This strategy not only keeps the Pennsylvania Dutch Country just that, country, but saves countless dollars that would be spent in demolition, materials, and labor costs; dollars that can now be spent on beautification and creative designs.
