Polyclinic campus. Pennmark’s phase one of an adaptive reuse project includes renovating the building on the left. The additional two buildings will be renovated in future phases.
One major adaptive reuse project can move forward with construction, while another has been tabled.
Harrisburg City Council on Monday approved one of two projects, giving the green light to an apartment project at the former Polyclinic building and stalling a downtown housing project for seniors.
Council voted in favor of a proposal by Pennmark Harrisburg Holdings, an affiliate of Montgomery County-based Pennmark Management Company, to transform the building that historically housed the Polyclinic Hospital at 2601 N. 3rd St.
The approved land development plan is for phase one of their three-phase proposal for the campus, which includes three buildings. The first phase targets the northernmost building on the property, which previously housed nurses’ quarters and more recently offices, and building out 96 market-rate units, with first-floor commercial space.
Council also voted on a plan by Harristown Development Corp. to renovate 333 Market Street, a 22-story building downtown that previously housed state government offices. At first, council’s vote resulted in a 3-3 tie, with council member Ralph Rodriguez absent.
“I want to maintain affordability, especially for our seniors,” said council President Danielle Hill, who initially voted against the project.
After City Solicitor Neil Grover told council that a tied vote would mean that the project was voted down, council decided to bring the development plan back up for reconsideration. Council tabled the vote in order for council members to ask further questions of the developer.
Harristown has proposed renovating floors 11 through 19 of the building, which are currently vacant, and creating 81 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Harristown is currently looking for an organization to master lease the units and provide senior housing.
At last week’s work session, council members expressed concern about the affordability of the units. Harristown President Brad Jones said that he did not know what the unit rates would be, because they would be determined by the company that master leases the apartments.
Council member Shamaine Daniels advised council members who still had questions or concerns to meet with Jones, but said that she believed council should pass the land development plan. If they wanted affordability to be a requirement, council should have law bureau draft an ordinance, Daniels said.
“As far as I’m concerned, his application met the requirements,” Daniels said. “There’s nothing that mandates affordable housing.”
Hill responded, saying, “We understand that there’s no mandate for affordability, but when we’re dealing with seniors, we want to know a range of something. Being given a blanket answer isn’t sufficient enough for me.”
But Daniels noted what she saw potentially becoming a “recurring issue” if council votes down land development plans that meet all city statutes.
“If it gets denied, then it gets appealed, then we have to spend money defending an appeal that’s not defensible and is just a waste of money for everybody,” Daniels said.
In other news, council voted to accept a $101,000 payment from PennDOT to purchase a plot of city-owned land located in Swatara Township, near Paxton Street and City Park Drive, related to its I-83 widening project.
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