Chris Dawson and wife Tracie, along with staff, local officials and supporters, cut the ribbon on the Lowengard.
Over a decade ago, the historic Lowengard building in Harrisburg caught architect Chris Dawson’s eye.
The building, constructed in 1917 and nestled along N. 3rd Street’s historic streetscape facing the state Capitol, stood out to Dawson for its potential.
The Lowengard, 210 N. 3rd St.
After years of vacancies and the building becoming increasingly dilapidated, Dawson pulled the trigger, purchasing the property and completely renovating it.
On Thursday, he and his team were joined by local officials and supporters to cut the ribbon on the newly rehabbed building and offer tours of the completely remade space.
“The building was in really rough shape,” Dawson said. “You might not get a sense of that entirely with all of the beautiful historic photos we have up, and just hopefully how great it looks to you when you walk through.”
The $3.5 million project included rehabbing first first-floor commercial space, which Dawson hopes to find a business to occupy. The three upstairs floors house Chris Dawson Architect’s new office, as well as a one-bedroom apartment unit and a two-bedroom unit. The apartments will either be leased or used as short-term rentals.
One of the most stunning elements of the project is the rooftop deck, which offers a view of the Capitol dome.
Rooftop deck
According to Dawson, the renovation process was extensive.
Historically, the building was erected for use by Courier Printing, with the first floor housing the first Mary Sachs department store in 1918, which eventually grew into the neighboring building. In more recent years, the first floor housed various restaurant tenants, but the upstairs floors were mostly vacant and accumulated debris, dirt and even dead critters.
“It looked like a bomb had gone off on the third and fourth floors,” Dawson said.
An apartment unit in the Lowengard
Now, the building features a modernist design, with white walls, exposed brick, rich black accent walls and natural wood cabinetry, desks and doors. The two-bedroom unit’s primary bedroom features a freestanding soaking tub, and both units and the office have views of the Capitol.
Dawson’s firm previously had office space in the downtown Commerce Tower, but outgrew it. The full team has already begun working in the new location.
And while it wasn’t easy—Dawson dealt with a difficult negotiation process when purchasing the building and had a contractor go bankrupt during construction—he was happy with the result.
Apartment in the Lowengard
“By revitalizing the blighted property and reactivating it for the community, this project preserves a missing piece of a key city block, provides much-needed additional studio space to support CDA’s growth, and contributes to the greater cause of revitalizing downtown Harrisburg,” Dawson said. “We are proud to do our part for Harrisburg as a long-time downtown business owner.”
Chris Dawson Architect’s office
The Lowengard is located at 210 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information about Chris Dawson Architect, visit their website.
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