Lancaster's historic Mithoff Hotel finds its saviors

  • 2014-12-26
A year ago, it seemed like the historic Mithoff Hotel in downtown Lancaster was headed for the wrecking ball. Now, the hotel has been saved and will be renovated and reopened as a mixed-use project.

The building was condemned and nearly pulled down, a move Lancaster's mayor David Smith favored. However, business owners, preservationists, members of the city council, and other interested parties persuaded Smith to leave the building extant until someone agreed to save it. The saviors have appeared in the form of Penny and Brad Hutchinson.

The Hutchinsons say they will spend between $3m and $4m to remodel the building, which will accommodate street-level retail spaces and office space on the upper floors. They anticipate finishing the project in approximately five years.

At a unanimous vote on November 24, the city council agreed to transfer the Mithoff to the Lancaster Port Authority, which in turn will accept $1 from the Hutchinsons, then transfer the deed to them. If the transfer is complete by the end of the year, Hutchinson said work could begin as early as next month.

The Mithoff was built around 1820, when it was known as the Swan Hotel. It was enlarged in about 1870, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Hutchinsons might consider working with brochure printers on a booklet for distribution to commercial realtors, who could present the building to their clients.