"These large developments can be wonderful for the growth of Lancaster, but it's counterproductive if small family-owned shops, the lifeblood of the city, are eliminated in the process." Shawn Smucker, co-owner of Nooks Gallery & Bookshop, wrote that to LNP | LancasterOnline this year, after the sidewalk outside his shop had been closed for about 16 months.
That closure ran from late August 2024 until January 2026 while Gallery 118 went up. Gallery 118 is the 72-unit apartment building at 118 N. Prince St., and it rises six stories on Prince Street and seven on Water Street. Smucker told LNP that Nooks survived, and even expanded, despite a 40% to 50% drop in sales during the closure. He also said other businesses on the block closed or moved during construction.
This fall, the new openings are around back on North Water Street, not on Prince Street, where Gallery Row's galleries face the sidewalk. Two new restaurant storefronts are opening on Water Street about four weeks apart.
Ricci's sits behind a garage wall that was saved on purpose
Ricci's Hoagies, a Philadelphia shop, was scheduled to open its franchise location Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 117 N. Water St. The building matters here. The 1,400-square-foot storefront is part of Gallery 118, and it sits behind the facade of a historic garage that the developers kept when they built the new structure, LNP reported. That garage was the one-story attachment to the former Teachers Protective Mutual Life Insurance Co. building, whose brick front still faces Prince Street.
The space is small, with 16 seats inside, so it's built mostly for takeout. The menu is the traditional Italian sandwich lineup, with hand-sliced meats and cheeses on rolls from Liscio's Italian Bakery in New Jersey. Choices run from the traditional Italian and roast beef to Italian tuna and a chicken cutlet hoagie.
The Lancaster franchisees are city residents Brendalis Camacho and her husband, Marcus Fontanez. Michael Pagliarella owns the Ricci's brand. He took over from his father, Rich "Big Rich" Pagliarella, who bought the original South Philadelphia shop in 2001. Earlier this year, LNP reported that the building's Water Street retail space was set to become a deli, and Ricci's is now filling it.
Across the street, the Zoetropolis dining room gets a new tenant
Directly across from Ricci's, at 112 N. Water St., the restaurant side of Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse served its last meal on Aug. 2. In the Facebook announcement that LNP quoted, the team wrote that "the laughter and tears of the past eight years will be part of our permanent memory."
The empty space didn't stay empty long. Cozy Thai & Hawaiian is slated to open there in mid-November, according to LNP, in the complex next to the still-running movie theater.
If you shop at Southern Market, you may already know these owners. Cozy belongs to Michelle and Michael McKinnell, a mother and son who ran a stand together there. That stand continues as Lemongrass under Michelle McKinnell, who was also a partner in an earlier Lemongrass restaurant on Route 30 near the Shops at Rockvale.
Here is what's planned for the Water Street restaurant:
- Menu: dim sum, curry dishes, and other Hawaiian- and Thai-inspired plates
- Seating: 60 inside and room for 30 on the patio
- Bar: the owners are applying for a liquor license and hope to add a tiki bar eventually
- Manager: Michael McKinnell
Put the two seat counts side by side. Ricci's has 16 seats. Cozy plans 90 between its dining room and patio. Within about four weeks, the same stretch of Water Street goes from a dark former dining room to a hoagie counter on one side and a sit-down restaurant with a patio on the other.
The theater never left
Zoetropolis is still on the block. The closing announcement said the company would put its energy into the theater and its Lancaster Distilleries brand, which already has a stand at Lancaster Central Market and a tasting room in Columbia. The Zoetropolis website still calls it "a movie theater and distillery," and its late-October calendar is full:
| Date | At Zoetropolis |
|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 23 | The Love Witch, plus WIXQ Presents: Granddogs Halloween Spooktacular feat. Jac Conner and Monk Mode |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Stereoma feat. Babel Map, Horseshoe, and Turn Evil |
| Oct. 23 to Nov. 7 | PRIMETIME, feature run |
| Coming soon | You Can See Everything |
Zoetropolis doesn't post set daily hours. Its directions page asks visitors to plan around the showtime schedule, since the doors follow the movies, live performances, and community events. Starting in mid-November, if Cozy opens on schedule, a Friday screening at Zoetropolis can come with dinner next door again, under a different name.
Prince Street held on, and the two sides are meant to connect
The new Water Street storefronts only make sense alongside the businesses that stayed open on Prince Street through the construction.
Nooks Gallery & Bookshop is still at 112 N. Prince St. It's open Monday through Thursday 10 to 5, Friday and Saturday 10 to 7, and Sunday 10 to 4.
Passerine, next door at 114 N. Prince St., serves seasonal, French-influenced New American small plates. It's open for dinner Monday, Thursday and Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and for brunch Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Passerine has a direct link to this project. Co-owner Kyle Sollenberger used to co-own the Teachers Protective Mutual Life Insurance Co. building, and LNP reported that he called the sidewalk closure a challenge but said he was excited about the future of the block.
What ties the two streets together is a design feature that hasn't fully arrived yet. Gallery 118's plans include a public pass-through park on the building's south side that connects Prince and Water streets, and part of it is set aside as dining space for Passerine. For now, Passerine's website says its outdoor seating is closed because of nearby construction, so the cut-through is still a plan, not a patio. When it opens, you'll be able to walk straight through from Nooks and Passerine on Prince Street to Ricci's and Zoetropolis on Water Street.
Developer Don Herman told LNP he understood how the closure affected the businesses around the site. "They're our neighbors, and we want them to do well," he said. He and Kirk Sears, both former Lift Inc. executives, built Gallery 118. Herman said they like downtown's "food," "architecture," "culture" and "diversity."
When to walk the whole block
The easiest night to see both sides is First Friday on Nov. 6. Visit Lancaster City describes it as the monthly citywide arts-and-culture night, with most programming starting at 5 p.m. That evening's listings include PCA's Fall Art Market from 4 to 8 p.m., Heartland Marimba at the Ware Center from 7 to 9 p.m., and an organ concert at First Reformed Church from 8 to 8:30 p.m.
A simple route for that Friday:
- Start at Nooks on Prince Street before 7, while it's open late.
- Walk around to 117 N. Water St. for a hoagie at Ricci's.
- Check the Zoetropolis showtime page for whatever is on the screen across the street.
- Head to the Ware Center or First Reformed Church if you want live music later.
By the next First Friday on Dec. 4, Cozy should have finished its first few weeks at 112 N. Water St., if it opens in mid-November as planned.
James and Cindy have watched downtown blocks like this one empty out and fill back in over more than 20 years in Lancaster County, and we enjoy keeping track of who opens where. If a new storefront on Water Street has you wondering what else is changing around your own block, the James Dunn Team is happy to talk it through, no pressure. Contact Us anytime.
