Article featured on LancasterOnline.

Ground was broken Wednesday for phase one of the $20 million Tobacco Avenue revitalization project on Lancaster city’s east side.

The project developers are Patrick Egan, founder of Security Partners and Select Security, and his brother Pete Egan, owner of contractor Caldwell, Heckles & Egan.

The project, unveiled last year, takes its name from the short alley that forms the western edge of the property, which also is bounded by North Plum, East Fulton and East Walnut streets, opposite Lancaster Brewing Co.

The $5 million phase one will renovate the former home of the John Best & Sons steam engine and boiler works, 240 N. Plum St., constructed in the mid 1800s.

The 22,000-square-foot building will house the corporate headquarters for Security Partners and its mid-Atlantic alarm-monitoring center, now based across the street. The building also will become the home for the corporate and finance departments for Select Security. In total, 40 jobs will relocate there. Twenty more hires are anticipated, thanks to the added space resulting from the move.

Completion is set for summer 2019.