DECADE One


of Cultivating Community Downtown


“This is a very friendly, outgoing community. Residents love living in this area!” exclaims Rojelia “Ro” Alicea, Community Manager at Steeple View Lofts.


S


teeple View Lofts has been a fixture of the Lancaster City skyline for a decade. On May 18, residents, community members, and those involved with its beginning, stopped by to celebrate


and reminisce.


Nine residents who moved to Steeple View Lofts in 2013 still currently reside there. They have enjoyed the community of neighbors within the building and the convenience of being located near many different shops, entertainment venues, restaurants, and more.


Julie Kohler, one of the original nine residents says, “I wanted to stay downtown because I love walking everywhere.”


While taking a walk one day, Sam Fleming took a tour. “I decided I’d think about it and come back in a couple of days,” he said. A few days later, Sam came back, signed up, and has lived there ever since.


Another resident, Dawn Watro, shared her perspective, noting “Steeple View Lofts remains a comfortable, convenient, and secure place to live in the city. We are very glad to be here.”


Before it became a community hub, the building served a variety of different uses. “The oldest part of the building was a silver plating factory in the 1890s,” explains Larry Guengerich, Director of Communications & Engagement, who was involved in the early days of Steeple View Lofts. Materials from this time period are actually on display now at the building. “At other times, it was a cigar factory, a place to work on tin containers and candy boxes, a high-end gift shop, and finally office space.”


The idea for Steeple View Lofts began to take shape in 2008 when the Landis Homes board of trustees discussed how to better serve individuals interested in retiring in an urban area rather than moving to a retirement community in the country. Conversations were had, ideas were drawn up, and in 2013, Steeple View Lofts was opened to residents.


Larry Zook, President & CEO of Landis Communities, shared his thanks to all who made the dream of Steeple View Lofts a reality, including current and past residents. “This building is about more than a place to live. Without the residents who have made this into a community, it would not be the place it is now.”


8 • Landis.org | FLOURISH | Summer 2023


CULTIVATING COMMUNITY


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