· Square Cafe project, In the news
Buffington Updates Rotary on Downtown Projects
Speaking to the Lewistown Rotary, Mike Buffington shared updates on 19 and 21 South Brown Street and explained the Square Cafe project at 13 and 15 East Market Street.
Mike Buffington, president of MAB Holdings, gave the Lewistown Rotary an update on downtown projects in October 2026.
19 South Brown Street is the most recently completed major renovation. Vacant for years, it now has commercial space downstairs and apartments upstairs. Many residents are nurses and doctors connected to the nearby Geisinger School of Nursing, and being steps from the Square is a big draw.
Next door, 21 South Brown Street was acquired with recent facade improvements already in place, and its offices are being remodeled as new tenants move in.
The current project is moving The Square Cafe & Bakery into the former Wilson’s Gift and Jewelry building at 13 East Market Street. Beside it, the former Trolley Car Cafe at 15 East Market Street was a prefabricated structure never meant to be permanent and couldn’t be saved, so a new kitchen building is going up in its place. Buffington said he prefers to preserve as much history as possible in his renovations and never wants to demolish a piece of history, but that wasn’t feasible here.
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21 South Brown Street
