Tri-County Housing Development Corporation structures its activities in direct response to the affordable housing needs of our region, as identified by the Commonwealth’s Consolidated Plan, County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities, County Commissioners and other pertinent state and local housing agencies.

News

Hotel to house seniors, restaurant (copied with permission from the Carlisle Sentinel)

This former hotel will become senior housing soon. (Sentinel file photo)

By Karla Browne , March 28, 2005

The funding package is complete to redevelop a former hotel and tavern on the Newport square into affordable senior citizen housing, a senior center and a restaurant.

Mark Moseley of Tri-County Housing Development Corp. told Perry County commissioners that construction could begin on the $2.5 million project in about seven months and be completed a year later.

Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority officials bought the hotel and an adjoining building at 124 Market St. with about $128,000 in unused Brownfields for Housing grants from 2001 and 2002 and a $217,000 loan from First National Bank of Newport. The redevelopment plan was announced in October 2003.

Redevelopment funds are coming through Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency from state home investment grants and federal tax credits that go to First National Bank, Moseley said.

Plans call for 13 mostly one-bedroom apartments on the second and third floors of the hotel and in the building behind it. State funding guidelines prohibit apartments on the ground floor, which is in a flood plain, Moseley said.

Officials are negotiating a lease of part of the first floor to a restaurant operator.

A senior housing community room also is planned for the first floor, along with rooms for the Newport Senior Center to move from its current facility about a block south of the hotel.

A view of the former tavern from street level. (Sentinel file photo)

A warehouse and garages behind the buildings on Front Street will be demolished to create parking spaces required by the finance agency, Moseley said.

Officials hope a large bat population that lived in the buildings' attics has relocated since the hotel roof blew off about nine months ago, Moseley said.

Replacement of the temporary roof would likely cause any remaining bats to leave, hopefully to a large bat house constructed a few years ago a few blocks away near the Juniata River, he said.

The hotel's now-vacant restaurant seated 65 and the ground floor also included a 35-seat dining and meeting room and a 20-table tavern with historic 20-foot bar and mirrored bar back.

The hotel's liquor license "goes away," says Christopher Gulotta, executive director of Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority. "You can't sell a hotel liquor license. It only exists to the extent the property is operated as a hotel. It's not like a stand-alone liquor license."

The restaurant has been vacant since former owners Jane and Geoff Scott filed for bankruptcy in 2002.

That continued a decades-long pattern of on-again, off-again operation, says former owner Jack Gochnaur, who sold to the Scotts in 1999.

The hotel, restaurant and tavern on the Newport square "sat vacant from the Agnes flood, which was in ‘72, to about ‘78 or ‘79," he recalls.

Floodwaters had inundated the lower level.

In the late 1970s Keith Snyder "bought it, rehabbed it, put a lot of money into it," Gochnaur says. Three years later it was out of business again.

The renovation follows a similar conversion in 2000 of the Butz Building across Market Street from the hotel. That $1.3 million renovation by Tri-County HDC provided upstairs apartments plus a ground-floor office suite that houses the gallery and headquarters of Perry County Council of the Arts.

2005 The Sentinel, Carlisle, Pa. unless otherwise noted.
Reprinting, reposting, or other use of the material on this site is forbidden.

(with permission from the Carlisle Sentinel)

Mt Pleasant Historic Apartments
Harrisburg
The City of Harrisburg was faced with a huge problem. A whole block of historic homes had been abandoned, rehab costs to return these properties were over $200,000 per house. The post rehab appraisal value of the homes would be at $78,000. The City needed to find a private investor who was willing to invest $122,000 per unit more then the property was worth. In comes Tri-County HDC Ltd.
Tri-County put together a development team that wouldn’t take no for an answer. The development includes: Tippets/Weaver Architects, S&A Homes, Poole/Anderson Construction and Tri-County HDC.

The Mt. Pleasant Apartments received a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Set-aside in September of 2004. Since that time we have been working diligently to complete all planning and zoning requirements.
Construction should start in May of 2005.

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency Approves Funding Of Apartments for Older Adults in Newport.
May 13, 1999

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 13 -- William C. Bostic, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, announced the approval of a $481,000 funding package for the rehabilitation of a three-story rental development for older adults on South Second Street in Newport, Perry County. The project, Newport Square Apartments, will offer 11 one-bedroom rental units, including two apartments for persons with disabilities.

Bostic said that the project would help meet Perry County's affordable housing needs. "I'm pleased that the Commonwealth can offer this vital financing for such a worthwhile project," he said.

The development is sponsored by Tri-County Housing Development Corporation, a nonprofit corporation, and will be managed by G. N. Management, Inc. of Lancaster. Tri-County Community Action Commission of Harrisburg will provide supportive services. Benatec/Integrated Building Arts of New Cumberland is the architect, and Cassel-Acri Construction, Inc. of Harrisburg is the general contractor.

Approval for the project was given at the May Board meeting of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency in Harrisburg. Funding from PHFA consists of a deferred loan in the amount of $417,000 and $64,265 of housing tax credits. The Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority is providing a Department of Community and Economic Development Community of Opportunities loan in the amount of $191,000; the County of Perry is providing a Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $85,000; the First National Bank of Newport is providing a $90,000 loan under the Federal Home Loan Bank Affordable Housing Program; and Newport Industrial Development Corporation is providing a $10,000 loan. Total cost of Newport Square Apartments is expected to be $1,325,000.

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency Approves Funding of Apartments In Harrisburg.
July 19, 1999

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- William C. Bostic, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, announced the approval of a $878,000 funding package for the construction and rehabilitation of eight three- and four-story apartment buildings located in the Allison Hill section of Harrisburg. The project, Allison Hill II, will offer two one-bedroom, 15 two-bedroom, 7 three-bedroom, four four-bedroom and one five-bedroom rental units, including three apartments for persons with disabilities. The scattered site development is located at 1252-54, 1312-1314, 1330 and 1627-1633 Derry Street and at 204 South 13th Street.

Bostic said that the Allison Hill project is integral to Harrisburg's efforts to provide housing that promotes community development and economic renewal. "I'm pleased that the Commonwealth can offer this vital financing for a project that means so much to the city," he said.

The development is sponsored by Pennrose Equities and Tri-County Housing Development Corporation. Pennrose Management Company of Kingston will serve as management agent. Community Action Commission of the Capital Region will provide supportive services to residents. Stuart and LeFever Architects of Lancaster is the architect, and Coldwell, Heckles and Egan, Inc. of Lancaster is the general contractor.

Approval for the project was given at the July Board meeting of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency in Harrisburg. Funding from PHFA consists of a deferred loan in the amount of $580,000 and $297,727 of housing tax credits. The City of Harrisburg is providing a loan of $163,447, a Community Development Block Grant loan of $362,500 and a Lead Paint Hazard Grant loan in the amount of $296,400. Dauphin Deposit Bank and Trust Company is providing a $120,000 loan through the Federal Home Loan Bank Affordable Housing Program. Total cost of Allison Hill II is expected to be $3,721,000.

Read the report.

Allison Hill is selected as a "Weed and Seed" area. Combining an increased Police presence with Mayor Reed's Capitol Corridor Revitalization project might make Allison Hill one of the most desirable places to live in Harrisburg.

Read about the Weed and Seed Project.

The map below shows the Weed and Seed Boundaries.