LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM) – It’s been standing for over 170 years, but the Lancaster County Prison is in a lame-duck stage with a new facility projected in the next few years.

Lancaster is preparing to do a study with some help from the state to figure out what’s next for the current prison.

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“Certainly there’s a lot of challenges there, but it really is a big opportunity for the city to reimagine a new city block,” Lancaster City’s chief planner, Douglas Smith, said.

Smith understands there are emotional ties to the prison depending on the individual.

“I think part of this project will be trying to understand how the reuse of this parcel can help heal the community and help promote a positive outcome in the wake of the prison moving,” he said.

The move to a new facility isn’t planned until late 2026 or early 2027. Smith indicates that’s about how long the city needs to figure out the prison’s fate.

“We expect the project will be about 18 months before we arrive at a document that we all feel comfortable with and we adopt, hopefully, at city council,” Smith said.

The state budget allotted $1.6 million for the Municipal Assistance Program. Those funds benefit this task.

Commissioners, design team work out new Lancaster County Prison details

“It assists communities in planning efforts, comprehensive planning, different discussions around efforts that municipalities go to grow,” Ted Martin, community planning director for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), said.

There are 36 projects across 23 counties in the state receiving funds from DCED. None of those projects received more funds than Lancaster.

“We believe we have the funds to get this project started in the summer,” Smith said.

The city received two grants from the state, tallying a total of about $148,000. The city put forth an additional $25,000.

“I think Lancaster has shown every evidence, every interest in sort of moving this forward in a thoughtful way,” Martin said.

The city hasn’t eliminated the idea of keeping the current building standing. Smith says demolishing it and rebuilding it would cost a significant amount of money.

However, Smith knows getting a whole block could benefit the city economically.

“This property has been tax-exempt for as long as we can remember,” Smith said. “This is an opportunity to bring a full city block back on the tax rolls so the economic considerations will be a part of our planning effort as well.”

The prison was built in 1851. It may soon be an afterthought as Lancaster contemplates its future.

“It’s an opportunity to really think about how a place fits in a neighborhood, fits in a community for the future, which is a good thing,” Martin said.

Smith indicates there is always a need for additional housing. With so many people being affected by the decision, he made it clear that the city will do its due diligence in determining its decision.

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