Harristown soon will begin an apartment conversion at these two Pine Street buildings.
Work is set to start on one of Harrisburg’s largest residential projects in recent years–the conversion of two downtown office buildings to rental housing.
Brad Jones, CEO of Harristown Enterprises, said his company, in the coming weeks, will begin demolition and construction work at 116 and 124 Pine St., two mid-century office buildings that, together, will have 74 new apartments.
“This is a big project, so we’re happy to get it started,” Jones said.
He expects construction to take all year, with completion in February 2020.
Harrisburg-based Harristown bought the bank-owned building at 116 Pine St. last year for $1.2 million. It will feature 49 one- and two-bedroom units in 54,600 square feet of aggregate space.
The company purchased 124 Pine St. last year from Keystone Human Services, which is relocating, for $1 million. The 30,000-square foot building will feature 25 one- and two-bedroom units with retail space on the ground floor.
Harristown expects to invest some $12 million into the project, along with partners Select Capital Commercial Properties and Don Mowery, Jones said. The architect is Camp Hill-based By Design Consultants, the general contractor is Mechanicsburg-based R.S. Mowery, and the lender is Mid Penn Bank.
Jones estimates that the project will create 125 construction jobs and that, ultimately, the buildings will house more than 100 residents downtown.
Jones said that he expects rents to average about $1,150 per month for one-bedroom units and $1,450 for two-bedroom units. The project includes 19 off-street parking spaces, which will be leased separately.
Harristown also has begun work on the historic Fox Hotel, a 112-year-old building on the corner of S. 2nd and Washington streets in Shipoke, converting it to an eight-unit apartment building.
Plans there call for a mix of one- and two-bedroom units in the 7,000-square-foot structure originally built by hotelier Otto Fox and that long housed Santanna’s Seafood House on the ground floor.
Last year, Harristown acquired the property, which had been empty for decades, from UPMC Pinnacle.
