A developer has proposed razing these two Front Street buildings and constructing an apartment building in their place.
A new apartment building may be coming to Uptown Harrisburg, as a New Jersey-based developer is proposing a 21-unit structure along the riverfront.
On Wednesday night, the city’s Planning Commission heard the proposal by EI Realty of Cedar Knolls, N.J., which wants to raze two mid-century office buildings and build “Dauphin House Apartments,” a modern-style, glass-and-masonry apartment building in their place.
“We believe we’re really going to improve the lot and really it’ll be an asset to the neighborhood,” said Christine Hunter, project manager for the site designers, Harrisburg-based H. Edward Black and Associates.
The building plan consists of six, two-bedroom and 15, one-bedroom units located at 2709 and 2717 N. Front St., according to Adam Kerr, vice president of the Harrisburg-based architect EI Associates, an entity affiliated with the developer. The units would rent at market rate.
The project also features 44 parking spaces. These include sheltered parking beneath the three-story building, which would be elevated due to the flooding risk.
A rendering of the proposed apartment building
The site currently features two small, mid-century office buildings.
According to the city’s Planning Bureau, the existing, “nondescript” buildings were constructed in 1956 and 1965 and do not contribute to the city’s historic or architectural character.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, several neighbors near the project said they had no problem with demolishing the existing buildings. However, they expressed concern that the apartment building would increase traffic on River Alley, just to the rear of the site.
“I’m all for improvement to our neighborhood, and I believe that the proper building would be an improvement,” said one neighbor who lives directly behind the proposed building. “My concerns are that River Alley is a highly trafficked alley, not just with cars, (with) pedestrians. There are young children that live within one block, people walking pets. And that would be my one concern—the impact of the traffic.”
Furthermore, the neighbors said they worried that bright lights from the site could encroach on their properties.
In the end, the Planning Commission gave unanimous support to the special exception request for a “multi-family dwelling,” but set a condition that project representatives meet with nearby residents to address their concerns.
“I am in favor of seeing some of those commercial buildings go away and seeing residential properties coming back along the riverfront stretch,” said commissioner Anne Marek, before voting in favor of the special exception. “Obviously, the folks living there will have very nice views.”
Kerr remarked that the developers want to maximize the use of glass as a building material to offer future tenants the best possible vistas of the Susquehanna River.
Several commissioners, however, commented that they hoped that the building façade would be more aesthetically appealing than that indicated by the design rendering, which they found unattractive.
The special exception request now goes before the city’s Zoning Hearing Board for final approval. If that board grants the zoning relief, the project can return to the Planning Commission for consideration of a land development plan. If approved, the land development plan also would need to pass City Council before construction could begin.
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