The "Parking Efforts Are Appreciated In Downtown Lancaster" Story

It was an ordinary day.  While doing some research for a story I was working on, I stumbled upon a newspaper article from September 12, 2013.  Story about a downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania developer and landlord who had purchased a business at 51 N. Queen Street and was planning on erecting an automated parking system for up to 55 cars in the back of the building.  He also had plans to switch one of his other parking lots near the building to metered parking instead of leased parking.  The idea behind all of this was that the more people that can park downtown, the more business it will bring to downtown Lancaster.  Great idea!  

The Hager parking lot before complete.

So great that a few years ago I wrote about Hager's Department Store in downtown Lancaster and the Pigeon Hole Garage that they built at the corner of Grant and Market Streets behind their store on West King Street.  I wrote of watching my dad drive his car onto the turntable of the lower level of the garage, get out and watch as the attendant raised his car to one of the ten floors above and then rode a circulating vertical belt outfitted with holds, back down to street level.  The garage could hold 240 cars and cost $400,000 to build.  It opened in 1956...and was dismantled in 1964 after years of problems with customer's cars.  

Final view of the mechanical garage.

The day my dad parked his car in the garage was the last time he did so.  Reading about all the problems caused great concern for dad and he chose to park elsewhere when we came downtown to shop.  The idea at the time seemed very practical, but the mechanics of the operation didn't live up to the original idea.  So, what ever happened to Mr. Meeder's idea of much the same thing behind his property at 51 North Queen Street?  I have been in Lancaster many times in the six years since the story was published in the Lancaster Newspaper and for the life of me don't remember an automated parking lot in the center of downtown.  

The second level of the parking area behind 51 N. Duke.

But, maybe I missed it.  Hopped in my car, camera in hand, and headed downtown to take a photo of the latest parking garage in Lancaster.  Due to construc- tion, I had to circle the block twice before I figured which way to approach the area where the garage would be located.  Found a narrow alley, maneuvered the car east in the alley and left at the half-block intersection, directly behind 51 N. Queen Street.  For the life of me I didn't see a 55 car mechanical parking garage.  

Names of those in business nearby the garage.

I did see a two level garage, but no way could it handle that many cars.  I must admit I hadn't realized the amount of parking available in the center of the city, but I suspect the unsuccessful adventure from 1956-1964 influenced Mr. Meeder to make a smaller garage that wasn't mechanical.  What he has added did make finding a space in downtown much easier than it had been before he purchased the property and he has enhanced the value of his, as well as the others around his place.  Thank you Mr. Meeder for your enhancement in the city and I assume the problems of the past adventure with mechanical parking lots in the city led you to your final decision.   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.