City mayor and visiting architect outline Market Square options as council weighs reuse of old post office

The mayor opened a special Lancaster City Council meeting to discuss next steps for downtown redevelopment and introduced Carrie Perkins, principal and director of design engagement with McMillan Pazdon Smith Architecture, who presented a range of Market Square concepts on behalf of the city.

Perkins told the council the concepts range from all-new construction to renovation with additions and purely adaptive reuse, and she urged the council to treat the plans as starting points rather than final designs. “What I wrote down is making sure whatever the use is, there’s a market for it, making sure it’s used year round so it’s not sitting empty and waiting for the season,” Perkins said, recommending updated market studies, on-site test fits and staged public input so residents and vendor representatives feel invested.

The mayor framed the meeting as a chance to turn years of planning into concrete next steps after the city acquired a downtown parcel. He summarized priorities from earlier public engagement (completed in 2019) — renovating existing community assets, rebranding downtown as a historic and cultural district, using historic and abandoned-building tax credits, and creating inclusive social hubs and parks — and said private investment has increased interest in downtown properties.

Councilmembers and residents focused much of the discussion on how the old post office should fit into Market Square. One council member said the city should preserve the post office’s role in perception and use: “My concern is that moving forward on Market Square, we don’t want to lose sight of the importance of the post office playing a role in that,” the councilmember said, noting the building still displays a no‑trespassing sign. Perkins recommended studying the post office as part of a test‑fit and suggested contracting early for cost estimates so the council can understand renovation tradeoffs.

City staff and Perkins also flagged practical constraints. A council member noted that the post office currently lacks an elevator and raised questions about handicap access and upper‑floor uses; Perkins said elevators can be added (including exterior options) but that such changes can affect what the upper floors can support.

Perkins and staff urged the council to pursue concurrent steps: an updated market study and test fits to clarify likely uses and costs, targeted community engagement and outreach to potential private development partners (via RFQ/RFP) so any developer comes with actionable proposals. “It would be very smart to start to talk more seriously with the developers to kind of see who really is serious about that working together as a team,” Perkins said.

Council member Miller urged a design that remains attractive and durable over time and that can host steady programming — not a one‑season attraction. A local building owner suggested adding a permanent stage and a slightly expanded plaza to reduce the need for temporary staging and to preserve event parking, arguing that permanent infrastructure would make activation easier and more visible to visitors.

The council asked staff for regular updates on the project so members can answer public questions about progress. After the presentation and discussion, a motion to adjourn carried and the council closed the special meeting.

What’s next: Perkins and staff recommended the council commission an updated market study and a test fit of the post office and Market Square concepts, while beginning targeted outreach to developers and identifying a scope for cost estimating. The council requested ongoing status updates from staff.