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Developer outlines $11.5 million plan to convert historic Ellentine Hotel into apartments; council backs $991,000 state funding request
Summary
Developer Will Brunner told Lancaster City Council the L & D (Ellentine) Hotel can be redeveloped as 18 apartments with 6,200 sq ft of ground-floor space in an estimated $11.5 million project; council approved a resolution asking state lawmakers for $991,000 for shoring, abatement and engineering work.
Will Brunner, the developer leading the downtown project, told the Lancaster City Council that the historic Ellentine (L & D) Hotel can be repurposed into 18 residential units and about 6,200 square feet of ground-floor retail or office space.
"It's an 11 and a half million dollar project," Brunner said, describing a plan for seven one-bedroom, eight two-bedroom and three three-bedroom apartments. He said the partnership is seeking a $4.75 million construction loan and expects roughly $3,000,400 in federal and state historic and abandoned‑building tax credits to make the work feasible.
Council considered Resolution 26‑07, which would authorize staff to request $991,000 from the South Carolina House Community Investment appropriation for structural shoring, partial demolition, hazardous‑material abatement and engineering services. Brunner said the highest-cost elements are shoring and abatement because the interior cannot be safely accessed without significant stabilization.
Brunner described a timeline that would start stabilization and abatement in May, seek National Park Service sign‑off on the final plan in June and aim for a groundbreaking in August, followed by about 14 months of construction. He warned that peeling back historic structures can reveal additional damage and hazardous debris; he cited asbestos as the primary contamination concern.
Mayor T Austin DeVinney and council members framed the resolution as a key step to secure state support and catalyze further private investment downtown. "The sooner you do it, the better it is," DeVinney said, urging council support for a robust request to the delegation.
The council moved to approve Resolution 26‑07 and to ask the delegation to pursue the $991,000 appropriation. The resolution passed on roll call.
Next steps: staff said the request will be routed through the city's state delegation for consideration and the developer will continue finalizing financing and permitting arrangements before stabilization work begins.
