Today, the Redevelopment Authority of the City of York (RDA) announces that it has purchased the 17.3-Acre campus of Dentsply Sirona, Inc. on West College Avenue. The RDA initiated discussions with Dentsply Sirona, the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, in October of 2022 and negotiations continued through the summer months of 2023 and the sale was completed on December 29, 2023. The site will now be redeveloped to provide new spaces to support the York community – a key priority for both organizations negotiating the sale.
This large urban property sits at the intersection of College Avenue and Grantley Road and is bordered by York College and the Codorus Creek. It serves as a major gateway to the city. The RDA board of directors felt it was critical to gain control of this strategic property to avoid blight from setting in while Dentsply Sirona marketed the property and to contribute to the momentum of the area around the gateway with Salem Square neighborhood and recent studies like the Penn Street Project. “In a few months we will connect with the neighborhood and the area residents to gather their feedback on preliminary design ideas.” said Michael Black, Chair of the RDA Board of Directors.
The RDA’s strategic actions to gain control of the site were confirmed as they also announce today that they have located and negotiated a redevelopment agreement with an experienced developer of shuttered industrial properties, converting them into vibrant mixed-use projects that support surrounding neighborhoods and urban landscapes. The developer is York Realty Partners, LLC, a partnership of Knight Street Capital of Providence, Rhode Island and CAM Construction Co. of Baltimore, Maryland. “We are very excited for this opportunity to partner with York Realty Partners on this project that we expect to revitalize the entire west end of York City”, added Black.
Knight Street Capital, formed in 1998, is an adaptive reuse real estate development company that has experience in both urban infill projects and historic adaptive re-use of post-industrial buildings. CAM Construction was founded in 1962 and is a leading general contractor in the Mid-Atlantic region with an extensive portfolio of completed projects including adaptive reuse and residential construction. CAM has constructed or renovated over 1,200 residential units, and over one billion dollars in commercial construction and renovation projects. Together the firms have completed several mixed-use projects, including the award-winning historic renovations of Pontiac Mills in Warwick, RI (14 buildings), as well as Lancaster Square (13 buildings) and Union Wharf (5 buildings) in Baltimore. They are also currently completing the redevelopment of Stehli Silk Mill in Lancaster, PA. “We are very excited to continue our growth into York”, said Larry Philips of Knight Street Capital, “We take great pride in restoring the historic integrity of these old factory buildings and creating places with vibrant historic settings and modern amenities. York is an impressive location, and we believe that the need for workforce housing is strong here.”
Dentsply Sirona’s West College Avenue site first opened in 1907, serving as an important location for the company’s manufacturing business. The company continues to be a corporate citizen in York with two other locations – Philadelphia Street and Smile Way. The company will continue to invest in York and play an active role in the community.
“The people at Dentsply Sirona have been amazing to work with through this purchase process – from their local facilities managers to their corporate attorneys and executive team, you can almost ‘feel’ their commitment to supporting the RDA and the City of York to make sure that the property was sold to the ‘right’ buyer”, said Nace. “This is one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ projects that will change the landscape of this quadrant of our city.”
“Dentsply Sirona has been part of the York community for over 100 years,” said Ken Strickhouser, Senior Manager, Manufacturing Operations at Dentsply Sirona. “It was important to us in selling West College Avenue that the site be put to good use for the community of York. With our two other locations, we will continue to play an active role in the development of the city, and we look forward to seeing new life brought into our former space.”
The RDA will soon begin environmental characterization of the site preparing it for York Realty Partner’s rehabilitation of the existing buildings. It also has been fielding interested parties to become tenants or potential owners of subdivided parcels of the campus. “Dentsply has been a great steward of the site and York Realty Partners has already started to share some of their visions moving forward, “added Nace.
The 28-parcel property covers 17.3 acres and has nine buildings containing almost 300,000 square feet of former office, manufacturing, and laboratory space. The Authority will convey ownership of each parcel to York Realty Partners as redevelopment progresses over the next few years.
About the Redevelopment Authority of the City of York
The purpose of the RDA is to reposition properties for redevelopment so that they comply with building codes and are no longer a blighting influence in their neighborhoods, become economic assets which contribute to the tax base of the City of York, and advance the plan for the appropriate development and use of each neighborhood involved.
About Dentsply Sirona
Dentsply Sirona is the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, with over a century of innovation and service to the dental industry and patients worldwide. Dentsply Sirona develops, manufactures, and markets comprehensive solutions including dental and oral health products as well as other consumable medical devices under a strong portfolio of world class brands.
Dentsply Sirona’s products provide innovative, high-quality, and effective solutions to advance patient care and deliver better and safer dental care. The company’s headquarters is in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company’s shares are listed in the United States on NASDAQ under the symbol XRAY.
