Ken Gall, Update on Hershey West End Project

Ken serves as the Director of Real Estate for Hershey Trust Company, a position he has held for more than 32 years. Ken is responsible for the local real estate  investment portfolio containing 3,000 acres with a value of over $120 million,  which currently produces +/- $3.5 million in annual net operating income. In this  role, Ken was responsible for negotiating and overseeing the development of  large real estate investments including Vista School, Troegs, and Select Medical. For the past 8 years, Ken has been coordinating the master planning and zoning  efforts for the 250-acre mixed-use Hershey West End project. The West End  Avenue Phase of this project is underway, and the project will be a game changer  in many ways. Ken has also led the acquisition process during his tenure at the  Milton Hershey School Trust and has acquired over 1,000 acres of real estate, primarily for the purpose of future Milton Hershey School Campus and buffer. 

In addition to large projects, Ken and the rest of the Hershey Trust Company Real  Estate Team oversee a wide range of smaller but crucial projects, including the re acquisition and redevelopment of the old bank building on the square, leasing of  farms and farmland to managing billboards, cell towers, and historical use  restrictions. Management and rentals of more than 100 mixed-type residential  rental in and around Hershey. Another recent example is collaborating with the  PA State Police and Department of General Services on transferring land for  construction of the new State Police Academy. 

Ken also assists in planning and zoning for campus real estate (over 7,000 acres).  In this role, Ken led the rezoning efforts to build the original Venice Campus (2004)  and added the former Hershey Links Golf Course (2016), which together created the 550-acre Legacy Campus.  

Ken is a graduate of Millersville University and holds a MBA from Lebanon Valley  College. He is a member of National Town Builders Association, a full member of  Urban Land Institute, a member of ULI Responsible Property Investment Council, board member of Downtown Hershey Association, board member of Hershey  West End Land Condominium Association, member of the Farmer’s Market in  Hershey Executive Committee, board member of Hershey Cemetery Company,  board member of The Donegal Foundation, past board member of the Marietta  Restoration Association and current Chairman of Marietta Planning Commission.  During his tenure as Chairman, Ken helped lead the process of the adoption of an  entirely new form-based type zoning code replacing the decades old Euclidean  zoning code.