Thirty-six affordable housing apartments for seniors are expected to be ready for occupancy in Mount Joy Borough in February.
The $13 million renovation of the former Gerberich Payne Shoe Factoryat 240 W. Main St. into 36 apartments and first-floor commercial space is nearly complete, according to State College-based developer Gatesburg Road Development.
The development’s 36 residential units – 12 one-bedroom and 24 two-bedroom – are income restricted. The maximum income for one person is $37,921, and for two people it is $43,320, according to Andrew S. Haines, executive vice president for Poole Anderson Properties doing business as Gatesburg Road Development. Rent will range from $310 to $1,020 a month and includes heat, electricity, water and sewer, Haines said. The rent levels are tiered based on Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency affordability guidelines.
Residents must be 62 or older, the property includes 40 off-street parking spaces, and about 5,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor will be limited to professional firms with no restaurants or retail businesses. No leases have been signed for the commercial space yet, Haines said in an email exchange on Thursday in which he noted the focus has been on completing the apartments.
The factory, a 47,760-square-foot four-story brick building built in 1919, produced shoes until 1974. William Strube then used it as a storage facility for aircraft instruments until 2008, according to LNP | LancasterOnline reports. It had been vacant and deteriorating since then. In 2013, a York real estate developer’s plan to create a mixed-use apartment/commercial facility there was abandoned. In 2018, owner D & R Charles Construction received a property maintenance violation for broken windows. In 2017, Lancaster County declared the building eligible for Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance, offering tax relief to a developer.
The property was purchased on Dec. 12, 2020, for $750,000 by an affiliate of the current developer from MANORVEST LLC, according to county property records.
The development has been funded by both private and public investments, according to the developer. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, Lancaster County and Santander Bank helped with financing, and federal housing credits will be used.
Poole Anderson Properties said it has been developing affordable housing properties for 20 years and has completed 23 projects.
Interested potential tenants may call 814-272-8950 and leave a message.
