A rendering of the proposed apartment building conversion for the former Federal Building. (credit: McKissick Associates)
A major downtown Harrisburg development project can move forward after receiving city approval.
On Tuesday, Harrisburg City Council unanimously approved a proposal to turn the former Federal Building into a 162-unit apartment building.
A New Jersey-based developer, Yasser Hellel, has proposed adaptively reusing the vacant, 11-story office building at N. 3rd and Walnut streets and constructing one-bedroom, two-bedroom and studio units.
The building would also include first-floor commercial space and amenities such as a fitness center, penthouse lounge, shared office space, a rooftop deck and shared lobby.
Hellel said that the units will rent at market rate, with the exception of 10, which would be affordable by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines.
According to Hellel, the total cost of the project, including acquisition costs, would total about $35 million.
The building previously housed the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and other federal offices. Personnel have since moved to the new federal courthouse on N. 6th Street.
Hellel has said that he expects to begin construction early in the summer of 2024 and continue for about 18 months.
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