The Lancaster County Commissioners passed a resolution today that awards nationally renowned consulting firm, Parnell Kerr Forster (PKF) a contract to conduct a feasibility study on the convention center/ hotel project, thus allowing for the first comprehensive feasibility study done on the $137.8 million tax payer-guaranteed proposed development.

The first phase of the feasibility study will be a Market Analysis and Facilities Recommendations, along with a Financial Analysis. According to the PKF proposal, the study should take 8 to 10 weeks, and is expected to get underway next week with meetings with involved agencies, organizations, and individuals.

The cost of the study will be $115,000, with the county contributing $50,000, and the balance paid by local businessman, Robert Edwin Field. Field is also the publisher of Newslanc.com.

After the commissioners’ meeting, Field said: “As I understand it, the Commissioners' purpose is to determine whether, even with the very great government grants and the large annual subsidies from the Hotel Sales Tax, the project will meet all debt service and other financial obligations and thus not trigger government guarantees and cause additional tax payer expense.”