Rendering of JMB Gardens, an affordable housing development proposed for Uptown Harrisburg
Two new development proposals aim to bring additional affordable housing to Uptown Harrisburg.
At a Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday night, developers with Harrisburg-based Vice Capital shared their plans to construct lower-income housing on the 2200- and 2300-blocks of N. 6th Street.
“The Uptown Harrisburg area hasn’t had their fair share of new construction and affordable housing,” said Ryan Sanders, vice president of development for Vice Capital. “We believe the residents deserve to live in homes that are clean and safe.”
The project, named JMB Gardens, would include the construction of five rowhome-style buildings on several currently vacant lots along the corridor. In total, they would feature 41 affordable units, a community center and 21 off-street parking spaces. According to the proposal, units would include a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
Vice Capital expects the project to cost about $15.7 million, and they hope to break ground in September, according to Sanders.
A vacant lot on the 2300-block of N. 6th St., one of the properties that Vice Capital has proposed for an affordable housing complex.
Vice Capital, which is owned by former NFL player LeSean McCoy, plans to purchase the properties from the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority and the Harrisburg Housing Authority. Sanders said that they will host a community engagement session on Feb. 17, with more details to follow.
The Planning Commission voted to approve a zoning variance and special exception for the JMB Gardens project. Next, this zoning relief will need to gain approval from the city’s Zoning Hearing Board. It then would need to go through the land development process, which will require additional city approvals.
“It seems like a very well-thought-out plan,” said commission member Ausha Green. “Not just in the buildings and the business side of it, but also in the people side of it.”
Additionally, on Wednesday, the commission approved a zoning variance and special exception and land development plan for a proposed affordable housing project on an overgrown lot on the 2100-block of N. 4th Street.
Harrisburg-based nonprofit Tri-County HDC shared their proposal to construct five, single-family townhomes. According to Executive Director Gary Lenker, the homes would be sold to lower-income families for around $100,000 each. Each 1,500-square-foot home would include three bedrooms and one-and-a-half baths.
Tri-County plans to purchase the land from the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority.
Lenker expects the $1.3 million project to break ground in 2024. It still will need to receive approvals from the Zoning Hearing Board and City Council.
According to Lenker, this would be Tri-County’s first project in Harrisburg outside of Allison Hill, where they have built many affordable homes. With prompting from Mayor Wanda Williams, Tri-County plans to continue expanding to other neighborhoods in the city, Lenker said.
“We’re looking forward to brightening up the neighborhood and providing homeownership opportunities,” he said.
For more information about Vice Capital, visit their website.
To learn more about Tri-County HDC, visit their website.
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