For sale sign at Grass campus
The Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg is listing its 6.4-acre Alexander Grass Campus for $8.3 million, according to organization transition leadership.
Transition committee member Sam Levine said the realty group NAI CIR is preparing photography and other materials to market the campus at that list price and that more sale information will soon be publicly available.
He noted the campus has already had several property showings.
“We’re feeling very positive that we’ll be able to sell it,” Levine said. “Hopefully, in a timely manner.”
Other changes are coming in stride with the property sale.
The federation announced Thursday it will soon name a new board of trustees, following feedback received at community meetings.
“The community is very anxious to move forward,” explained Levine. “They just feel that we have to move forward with new leadership.”
Levine said they hope to elect a new board in August.
Its members will be tasked with navigating the federation’s ongoing debt situation—a $9.1 million owed across three mortgages on the campus and around $600,000 of additional debts.
“The board will also be in charge of what our going forward is going to look like,” Levine said.
Grass campus
The transition committee is in the process of forming a nominating committee to present a new slate of officers for the board. Levine said that candidates can either self-nominate or be nominated by others.
The organization announced it was having financial troubles this spring and needed to move away from its campus model, after abruptly closing its Brenner Family Early Learning Center (a preschool and daycare) and its gym, the Symons Family Fitness Center.
The federation bought the Grass Campus site in April 2022 for $4.56 million, bringing numerous Harrisburg Jewish organizations together to operate in one space. The site also provided a space for Jewish community programming.
Levine said that, as the federation moves forward “without walls,” the new board will work to continue existing community programs, like the federation’s annual film festival, and senior and youth activities.
While the federation will not have a physical location of its own moving forward, it plans to lean on the resources of synagogues it’s associated with in the Harrisburg area, Levine said.
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
