Proj Overview

Project Overview

A blighted site in the middle of Lancaster, Pa., that had languished for 30 years was given new life with Ewell Plaza, a mixed-use project that serves as a community gathering place.Named for Barney Ewell, an Olympic gold medalist and local hero, the project encompasses a two story public library; two levels of retail space with an outdoor even space roof; an eight-story garage with parking for 324 cars; and a public plaza.

“The Lancaster Parking Authority took the lead and funded, through new bonds, the redevelopment of the site,” says Larry J. Cohen, CAPP, executive director of the Lancaster Parking Authority, owner of Ewell Plaza. Funding was provided by the State of Pennsylvania and a city-supported CRIZ (City Revitalization and Improvement Zone). “A combination of building materials was used, including precast elements; intermittent levels with full steel flooring; and two-level, hollow core structures supported by precast framing. Precast was chosen, Cohen says, because it is less costly; is fabricated in a controlled production environment; it results in better quality and a faster build timeline, and it works well on tight sites.”

Precast Solutions for Parking and Library

“Precast is ideal for this type of application, because the reduction of on-site construction activity minimized disruption during installation,” notes Afzal Bhatti, Jersey Precast. The precaster created a 3-D BIM model for the installation of components. “We developed a 3-D plan for how to assemble the whole building,” says Bhatti. “It took a lot of time to decide which part would go where, because once in there you don’t have a lot of space to move.”

One of the challenges with Ewell Plaza is that it is flanked by existing buildings on two sides and located along a busy street. “The site was very tight because of the adjacent buildings, and we had to ship double tees that were up to 15 feet wide,” Bhatti says. “Work on Ewell Plaza started at the end of 2019, just as COVID was beginning, calling a temporary halt to construction activity. Additionally, more than 150 pilings had to be driven into a rock foundation that was not flat and had varied elevations,” says Cohen.

The precast installation took place from May 2021 through August 2021, and the project opened in September 2022. Hollow core floors were used for the library at Ewell Plaza to make it soundproof. Steel comprises the framing of the parking garage, which is on levels three through eight. Visitors access the garage by driving up a narrow exterior ramp that leads to the third level.  Jaimin Patel, Jersey Precast, notes, “We had to coordinate all the materials — steel, precast, and hollow core from multiple manufacturers — so that the three different specialties were working together and making sure everything was properly aligned.”

 

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Project Team

Owner

Lancaster Parking Authority

PCI-Certified Precast Concrete Producers

Jersey Precast, Hamilton, N.J., Say-Core, Inc., Portage, Pa. (hollow core)

PCI-Certified Erector

Team Precast Group, New London, Pa.

Architect

Hammel Associates Architects, Lancaster, Pa.

Structural Engineer

Walker Consultants, Wayne, Pa.

Contractor

Benchmark Construction, Brownstown, Pa.

Key Project Attributes

  • Ewell Plaza is flanked by existing buildings on two sides and located along a busy street
  • The precaster created a 3-D BIM model for the installation of components
  • A combination of building materials was used, including precast elements; intermittent levels with full steel flooring; and two-level, hollow core structures supported by precast framing
  • Precast was chosen because it is less costly, fabricated in a controlled production environment, results in better quality, and a faster build timeline

Project/Precast Scope

  • Ewell Plaza, located in the heart of downtown Lancaster, Pa., features a nine-story structure (two stories for commercial and seven for parking)
  • The Christian Street Parking Garage, a precast concrete structure, spearheaded the future home of the Lancaster Public Library and 4,500 square feet of new retail space
  • The new 43,000-square-foot Lancaster Public Library is a first-of-its-kind precast structure with an intermittent roof between floors