See inside the smallest new micro-apartment in Lancaster [photos] | Home & Garden

The final finish will be done at Unit 1. The bathroom already has a tiled shower and original windows, which are now shelves.

The kitchen has new appliances and a counter that is several seats long.

The living space has a tape mark on the hardwood floor to indicate where the daybed fits.

With an area of ​​260 sq ft, this is the smallest new apartment in Lancaster.

This house is small enough to be called a micro-apartment.5 apartments live, 30 N. Water St., each have plenty of natural light, high ceilings, a complete kitchen and bathroom. It’s Steve and Jennifer Young’s recipe for making small spaces bigger.

“We aim to live an efficient, high-end life at an affordable price,” says Steve Young.

A small life is not suitable for everyone, but each apartment here was billed by the tenant before the construction was completed. For the city, such new ideas for providing high quality, safe and affordable housing are welcomed, says the city’s community planning and economic development department.

(To look around one of the apartments, click and drag the mouse on your computer. On mobile, move your device and look around.)

Possible building

Steve Young opened a few years ago Warehouse 210, A coworking space in the former tobacco warehouse on West Grant Street.The plan came later Exilave, A community of art studios and galleries in shipping containers.

Steve and his wife Jennifer noticed a property on nearby Water Street. It was for sale by the owner and pre-20th century buildings. State and main Through ventures such as East Petersburg and Domain Lancaster.

The Water Street building has long been the home of the In-N-Out Camp & Relief Association. Private social club with roots in the late 1800s.. The bar was closed when the association broke up in 2009. By the time Steve and Jennifer got inside, the building had been vacant for about 10 years.

“There was a hole and there was a place for the outside to come in,” Jennifer says. “It wasn’t very comfortable at first.”

Still, it was in a great place, so they bought it just before the pandemic stopped life. The couple owns the property through BE Enterprises, named after their teenage daughter.

Efficient life

Youngs envisioned Dwell to live efficiently in downtown Lancaster. The apartments they created range from 260 square feet to just over 400 square feet. Traveling abroad has strengthened the idea that it does not require much space.

“You don’t need a lot of space to live in,” says Steve. “We need efficient and functional space.”

Each apartment has its own appliances, including air conditioning and a washer / dryer combo. Each space comes with internet, access to coworking spaces, and a streaming service that has not yet been determined. Residents pay $ 895 a month and their electricity bill.

The layout and function of the apartment is different. Truck barn doors save space. Some window wells have shelves. The appliances are hidden under the counter.

“Everything is intentionally designed,” says Steve.

Small but good

Bekah Church applied for Dwell’s apartment even before it was completed. Church is the stage director of the Fulton Theater. When the theater closed, she planned to move with her family in Maine and return to Lancaster.

A friend crazy about a small home show discovered Dwell’s website in the fall and shared it with the church. Opposite the theater, Dwell loved Steve’s passion for the project.

“This is a good opportunity to miss,” she says.

With just the floor plan, she chose an apartment large enough for another bedroom. When she moves (in time for preparation) Fulton’s “Fun House”), She looks forward to bright light, reliable heat, and a well-laid-out old building.

“It’s kind of like a little life, but it doesn’t feel that way,” she says.

Church also says he feels lucky to find a one-bedroom apartment for $ 895 a month. In her search for an apartment, she found more places close to $ 1,200 a month.

Small approval

Youngs needed special approval to build a small apartment. The minimum size for Lancaster efficiency is 400 square feet. One bedroom unit should be at least 550 square feet. The city’s zoning council has acknowledged these minimum size differences.

“Cities and metropolitan areas have housing inventory issues that are pushing up prices and creating other pressures,” wrote an email from Lancaster’s community planning and economic development staff. “We encourage diversity in housing development, both in terms of housing types and all income levels.”

Dwell isn’t the only new small home approved in the city. A The small house was set up on 765 St. Joseph Street. A few months ago. The 351 W. James St. building has also been freed from space requirements, the agency said.

Social club to the apartment

For young people, they spent more than a year renovating the building into a dwell. On the ground floor was a 1970s bar and details. Lots of dark wood, siding and drop ceilings.

Through construction, they removed modern additions, exposed brick walls, relocated stairs, and gave tenants another entrance. The entrance and hallways are adorned with graffiti-style art by artist Ramon Trevino.

They added a third floor and added it to the back of the building. This added space, an accessible entrance, and an emergency staircase.

Today, the building is approximately 3,600 square feet and contains approximately 1,200 commercial spaces on the ground floor.