Site of the proposed project on the 2700-block of N. Front Street
A project to construct an apartment building on N. Front Street in Harrisburg can now move forward.
A land development plan for the 2700-block of N. Front St. was automatically approved by Harrisburg City Council, after the deadline to vote on the apartment project expired on Sept. 15.
The project, proposed by New Jersey-based EI Realty, includes demolishing two office buildings on the property and constructing a 21-unit modern-style apartment building.
Council originally voted, 5-2, against the proposal in May, with several council members voicing concern with the project’s lack of affordable housing. However, a week later, council approved a motion to reconsider the proposal, which essentially erased their previous vote.
The building plan consists of two-bedroom and one-bedroom units located at 2709 and 2717 N. Front St., according to Adam Kerr, vice president of the Harrisburg-based architect EI Associates, an entity affiliated with the developer. The units will rent at market rate. At a previous council meeting, representatives for the project said that they would not be interested in offering affordable units, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Council President Danielle Bowers told TheBurg that council decided to reconsider the proposal, based on the potential “legal ramifications” of denying the application, which conformed to city building code standards.
Following the reconsideration, the developer agreed to two extensions to the deadline for council’s re-vote. The latter has since expired, deeming the project approved, Bowers told TheBurg.
According to Bowers, council has not met with the developer since initially denying the application, and she does not believe that the proposal has changed to include affordable units.
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