Historic Renovations Archives

Lancaster West End Community Health Center Redevelopment

A Historic Property Finds New Purpose

The Lancaster west end community health center redevelopment rejuvenated a property that has been within the community for more than a century. Built in the 1800s, the former Fred F. Groff funeral home remained mostly vacant after closing around 2015. Union Community Care partnered with Warfel to give the historic building a new purpose within the Lancaster community as a 26,000 square foot medical office building. The facility includes 48 exam rooms for primary care, dental care, and behavioral health services. Together, these spaces help Union Community Care continue serving patients across Lancaster City and County.

Planning the Lancaster West End Redevelopment

Because of the building’s age and condition, the work required extensive structural reinforcement, masonry restoration, and a full interior transformation. An overbuild addition expanded the second floor while design decisions respected the property’s historic character and future healthcare use. Through design build delivery, Warfel worked closely with Union Community Care throughout design and preconstruction. This process aligned design intent, scope, programming needs, and budget while incorporating grant funding sources into planning. As a result, the renovation remained focused on the client’s program while addressing the building’s existing conditions.

Regulatory Coordination at Lancaster West End

Meeting current code and permitting requirements added another layer of coordination throughout the work. Because the original building lacked a sprinkler system, the design required thoughtful solutions for modern safety and code standards. Warfel coordinated reviews with the Lancaster City Historical Society, local municipal authorities, and PennDOT. This process also included approval of a Highway Occupancy Permit. Each requirement connected design decisions with permitting and construction activities. Together, these reviews shaped the project sequence throughout the 17 month schedule

Building a Continued Relationship

Despite the challenges of transforming a historic building for a new purpose, construction continued steadily through each phase of the work. Coordination between design requirements, regulatory reviews, and field conditions remained important throughout the process. Warfel also kept Union Community Care’s program, budget, and long term goals at the center of each decision. The completed facility now brings several healthcare services together within a renewed historic property. That working relationship built trust and led to additional opportunities with Union Community Care across Lancaster County.

Farmhouse Office Renovations

Farmhouse Office Renovations Preserving Campus History

The Farmhouse Office Renovations gave Garden Spot Communities a modern workplace inside an 1861 farmhouse. In New Holland, Pennsylvania, the 4,536-square-foot project updated a building tied closely to the Garden Spot Village campus. As campus office needs grew, the farmhouse became a fitting place for expanded administrative space. The goal was clear: preserve its character while creating accessible office space with modern code and technology needs. Because the building already held campus history, the renovation needed to serve today’s office needs. It also needed to preserve what made the farmhouse special.

Farmhouse Office Renovations with Preconstruction Clarity

The building’s age made preconstruction especially important. Since the farmhouse lacked comprehensive structural documentation, Warfel’s preconstruction services helped study existing conditions before work advanced. The team worked through unknowns, reviewed potential obstacles, and kept communication steady as decisions took shape. Value analysis helped protect quality and integrity while keeping budget constraints in view. For historic office renovation needs, that early planning turned a complicated existing building into a more manageable path.

Blending Modern Systems with Original Character

Inside the farmhouse, the renovation blended practical upgrades with careful preservation. Extensive work created modern office function while maintaining the building’s old school feel. Trade partner expertise helped restore the original floors, keeping part of the farmhouse’s finished character intact. Meanwhile, HVAC, wireless access points, and updated electrical work brought modern facilities into the historic structure. Those upgrades made the farmhouse better suited to current office needs without losing its connection to the past.

Reusing Original Elements with Care

The project also found creative ways to reuse original elements. The casework team repurposed old windows into bookshelves, giving former building pieces a new role inside the office. In another thoughtful detail, the original outhouse was preserved and converted into a shed. These choices added rustic charm while keeping pieces of the property’s story visible. They also made the renovation feel personal to Garden Spot Village.

A Meaningful Office Home for Garden Spot

The completed farmhouse gives Garden Spot Communities accessible office space with preserved character, modern technology, and code-conscious updates. Warfel helped carry the six-month renovation through existing-condition challenges, preconstruction planning, value analysis, and careful field execution. More importantly, the work kept a meaningful campus building in active use. For Garden Spot Village, the result honors local history while serving today’s campus office needs.

West End Place Apartments

West End Place Apartments Revitalizing a Former Hospital

The West End Place Apartments project transformed the former UPMC/St. Joseph Hospital campus in downtown Lancaster. Across 250,000 square feet, Washington Place Equities added 185 new market rate apartment units for residents. The 23-month project carried the responsibility of working within historic building requirements while keeping the redevelopment financially feasible. Because conditions evolved during design and construction, planning needed to stay practical, responsive, and grounded in the building. That balance made the work a meaningful example of historic hospital campus redevelopment.

West End Place Apartments Planning with Constructability

Constructability shaped the project early, especially within a former hospital campus with complex existing conditions. Justin Walton, Warfel’s Senior Constructability Manager, worked through structural issues, systems clashes, and coordination challenges. His work helped limit surprises during construction and created clearer paths for field decisions. For clients comparing adaptive reuse construction partners, this planning shows the value of early constructability review. It also connects directly to schedule, budget awareness, and complex renovation execution.

BIM Coordination and Existing Conditions

Warfel used BIM coordination and scanning technologies to understand the site and building before construction moved too far. Ground penetrating radar helped the team learn more about hidden conditions within the existing campus. Meanwhile, coordinated modeling helped identify systems clashes and structural concerns that could affect sequencing. These tools gave the project team better information while working through a historic, financially sensitive redevelopment. As a result, construction planning could respond to real conditions instead of relying on assumptions.

Historic Requirements and Community Momentum

The project also carried visible importance for downtown Lancaster. Warfel attended the July- 2024 groundbreaking and helped plan the event for Washington Place Equities. That moment brought excitement and anticipation to the client, community, and future residents. During construction, the team continued navigating historic requirements while moving toward a community-serving outcome. In early May 2026, Warfel celebrated the grand opening with Washington Place Equities and the Lancaster community.

A New Chapter for Downtown Lancaster

The completed West End Place Apartments project brought 185 market rate homes to a former hospital campus. It also returned a major downtown property to active residential use through careful redevelopment. Warfel’s Virtual Design & Construction services helped support constructability planning, BIM coordination, scanning, and practical field execution. For Washington Place Equities, the work required steady coordination through historic requirements, structural issues, and systems clashes. The result gives downtown Lancaster new housing while honoring a campus already connected to local history.

Historic Mill Office Fit Out

Historic Mill Office Fit Out in a Lancaster Landmark

The Historic Mill Office Fit Out gave new life to the Oregon Roller Mill in Leola, Pennsylvania. With roots dating back to 1814, the Lancaster County landmark carried more than 200 years of history. Master’s Wealth Management wanted a permanent home with improved parking, updated interiors, and a more functional workplace. Because the mill’s character mattered, the renovation needed to respect the existing structure while preparing it for office use. That balance made the project both a workplace fit out and a careful historic building renovation.

Historic Mill Office Design-Build Coordination

Working with Mulá Group, Warfel’s in-house design-build team (VDC) helped provide quick answers throughout the five-month project. Those responses mattered because older building conditions required decisions that connected design, schedule, and construction. As questions came up, the team worked with the architect and kept progress moving. This coordination helped the project adapt to a more than 200-year-old structure without treating historic conditions as an afterthought.

Interior Renovation Inside the Oregon Roller Mill

The project included complete interior demolition and renovation, creating room for a more practical workplace layout. New framing, drywall, custom trim, hardwood flooring, lighting, and a new stairwell addition shaped the updated office. Together, those improvements turned the former mill into a polished setting for the Master’s team. However, the work still needed to fit within the limits of the existing building. That meant interior progress had to stay connected to the structure’s age, character, and historic requirements.

Preserving Character Through Historic Requirements

Historic building requirements limited what could change, especially on the exterior. Because of that, the team preserved original features where possible while completing the interior renovation. The approach kept the Oregon Roller Mill’s history visible instead of giving it a completely new identity. At the same time, the updated interiors gave the business the function and finish expected from a permanent workplace. This balance helped protect a Lancaster County landmark while giving it a renewed purpose.

A Permanent Office Home in Leola

The completed fit out gives Master’s Wealth Management a beautiful office inside a building with deep local roots. Warfel’s services helped support design-build coordination, responsive decisions, and renovation within a historic structure. The project created a workplace that feels both updated and connected to place. For Leola, the work preserved a piece of Lancaster County history for years to come. The result is a permanent home shaped by preservation, function, and trust.

Knowledge Park Redevelopment

Knowledge Park Redevelopment Rooted in History

The Knowledge Park Redevelopment project revitalized York’s historic Schmidt & Ault Paper Company site for York College of Pennsylvania. The 200-year-old property became a modern business and innovation hub across three floors. The redevelopment created fit-out spaces for local businesses while expanding learning opportunities for students and faculty. Instead of separating classroom work from real-world experience, the project brought education and business into one shared setting. That connection gives the site a practical role in learning, entrepreneurship, and community growth.

Knowledge Park Redevelopment Designed for Applied Learning

Within the redeveloped building, students can connect academic work with Project-Based Learning opportunities across several disciplines. Those opportunities span engineering, computer science, and liberal arts, giving the building a broad academic purpose. Because commercial tenant spaces sit within the same hub, learning can connect with real business activity. Faculty also gain a setting where classroom ideas can meet practical challenges. As a result, the building offers more than renovated space. It gives students a place to test ideas, collaborate, and see their work connect beyond campus.

Connecting Campus, Community, and Business

The 40-acre property also strengthens the relationship between York College and the surrounding community. Local businesses now have modern fit-out spaces within a site tied closely to the college. Meanwhile, the hub brings campus activity and commercial energy into the same redevelopment. This mix helps cultivate an entrepreneurial ecosystem with long-term value for the region. For York, the project creates a stronger bridge between education, local business, and community opportunity.

Honoring Industrial Heritage Through Modern Design

The historic renovation respects the building’s industrial roots while introducing a more contemporary front entrance. A sleek glass storefront and updated facade modernize the building without losing its heritage. Since the site once served as a paper company, that balance gave the exterior work added meaning. Construction began in May 2022 and finished in November 2024, marking a major step in the property’s transformation.

Building Long-Term Value for York College

Warfel helped deliver a redevelopment shaped by history, education, and regional connection. The completed Knowledge Park Redevelopment gives York College a cutting-edge educational and business center with purpose beyond the classroom. It creates room for students, faculty, and local businesses to share space within a building rooted in York’s industrial past. For York College of Pennsylvania, the project reflects thoughtful redevelopment, partnership, and long-term investment in the surrounding community.

Actors Housing, Addition, & Renovations

Overview of Actors Housing

The Actors Housing, Addition, & Renovations project for Fulton Theatre transformed an entire city block for an iconic Lancaster theatre. Built in 1852 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the theatre brought historic character to every phase. Nearly four years of planning allowed the work to move in phases while performances continued as scheduled. That planning mattered because the project touched backstage systems, venue space, rehearsal areas, and daily theatre operations. The scope respected both the age of the building and the people relying on it each day. It remained a working theatre, not simply a construction site.

Actors Housing Planning and Active Performances

Because Fulton Theatre stayed open, Actors Housing phasing had to work around scheduled performances, access needs, and construction activity. Each phase needed to move the project forward without treating the theatre like an empty building. Instead, construction happened around the work of performers, crews, and guests already using the space. That gave the project a careful rhythm rooted in planning, patience, and respect for the theatre’s schedule.

Backstage Renovations and Historic Systems

Phase 1 focused on backstage renovations, including the replacement of century-old sandbag rigging. That scope required temporary roof removal so new mechanical equipment could be installed. The work reached into systems that had served the theatre for generations, which made coordination especially important. Updating those backstage functions required care because the building’s performance spaces still carried the character of a historic theatre.

Venue Addition and Performance Spaces

Phase 2 created the most visible change through a two-and-a-half-story glass-walled venue space. The project also added a multipurpose theater with a rehearsal hall. These additions gave Fulton Theatre new spaces for performance preparation, events, and creative use within the transformed city block. The new work did not erase the historic building; it added room for the theatre to keep serving performances.

Project Completion and Theatre Continuity

Warfel’s work on Actors Housing, Addition, & Renovations carried phased construction through an active historic theatre setting. Backstage upgrades, roof removal, new mechanical equipment, a glass-walled venue, and a rehearsal hall each served a specific purpose. The completed project expanded how Fulton Theatre could use the block while allowing performances to continue through construction. With roots reaching back to 1852, the theatre gained new space while keeping its long-standing Lancaster presence.

Market Revitalization & Upgrades

Overview of the Market Revitalization

The Market Revitalization & Upgrades project at Lancaster Central Market updated one of downtown Lancaster’s most familiar historic landmarks. For nearly two centuries, Lancaster Central Market has served as a gathering place at the heart of the city, with market activity on the site dating back to 1730. Recognized as the oldest continuously operating famers market in the United States, the building carries generations of community history. To help preserve that history, the exterior appearance of the market did not change significantly. Instead, thoughtful interior updates to the lighting, sprinkler, and heating systems were made to support daily use for visitors, customers, and the stand holders who bring the market to life.

Market Revitalization and Historic Setting

The Market Revitalization work respected the character people already know when they walk through Lancaster Central Market. Rather than changing the building’s familiar appearance, the renovation focused on improvements that serve the market from within. This allowed the project to protect the building’s historic presence while still addressing practical needs. For a place so closely tied to downtown Lancaster, those quieter upgrades mattered. They helped the market continue serving the community without taking away from the experience people recognize and value.

Building Systems and Daily Use

The historic renovation included updates to the lighting, sprinkler, and heating systems. These improvements support the daily rhythm of the market for visitors, customers, and stand holders. Better building systems help the space function more efficiently while keeping attention on the market itself. In a building with such a long public life, these behind-the-scenes updates carry real importance. They help the market remain active, familiar, and ready for continued use.

Mezzanine View and Visitor Experience

The project also added an elevator and public viewing area at the mezzanine level. From this elevated space, visitors can see the market from a new perspective. The aerial view gives people another way to appreciate the activity, layout, and character of Lancaster Central Market. It adds something new to the visitor experience without changing the market’s well-known exterior appearance.

Project Completion and Market Revitalization

Warfel’s Market Revitalization work brought together historic preservation, system upgrades, and a new visitor feature within one careful renovation. The completed project supports Lancaster Central Market’s daily use while honoring the character that makes the building meaningful. For the stand holders, customers, and visitors who use the market, the work helps keep a familiar Lancaster landmark active and welcoming. It is a practical renovation rooted in respect for the market’s history and its continued role in downtown life.