York Redevelopment Authority has purchased Dentsply property on West College Avenue

Angel Albring, York Daily Record
Updated ·2 min read

The Redevelopment Authority of the City of York announced today that it has purchased the 17.3-Acre campus of Dentsply Sirona, Inc. on West College Avenue.

The authority initiated discussions with Dentsply Sirona, the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, in October 2022, according to a news release. The sale was completed Dec. 29, 2023. The site will now be redeveloped to provide "new spaces to support the York community."

The authority spent $4.25 million to purchase the property, which has been vacant since 2020. The property sits at the intersection of College Avenue and Grantley Road and is bordered by York College and the Codorus Creek. The authority's board of directors felt it was critical to gain control of this strategic property, since it serves as a gateway to the city, to avoid blight from setting in, according to the release.

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“In a few months we will connect with the neighborhood and the area residents to gather their feedback on preliminary design ideas,” said Michael Black, Chair of the RDA Board of Directors.

The authority’s actions to gain control of the site were confirmed, and it has located and negotiated a redevelopment agreement with York Realty Partners, LLC.

Dentsply Sirona’s West College Avenue site first opened in 1907, serving as an important location for the company’s manufacturing business. The company has locations on Philadelphia Street and Smile Way, according to the release.

Undated historical photo of Dentsply in York known as the 'Twentieth Century Tooth Factory in York' at the time.
Undated historical photo of Dentsply in York known as the 'Twentieth Century Tooth Factory in York' at the time.

“Dentsply Sirona has been part of the York community for over 100 years,” Ken Strickhouser, senior manager of Manufacturing Operations at Dentsply Sirona, said in the release. “It was important to us in selling West College Avenue that the site be put to good use for the community of York."

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The 28-parcel property covers 17.3 acres and has nine buildings containing almost 300,000 square feet of former office, manufacturing and laboratory space. The authority will convey ownership of each parcel to York Realty Partners as redevelopment progresses over the next few years.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York PA Redevelopment Authority has purchased Dentsply property