East Liberty Place is nearing completion.
The four-story mixed-use, mixed-income development includes about 11,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 54 residential units. No commercial tenant has been signed yet, but interest has come from some East End restaurateurs and from some neighborhood retailers who are already familiar with the market, says Tamara Dudukovich with site developer The Community Builders.
The new structure was designed by Strada with input from the community, and is part of a master development plan for connecting East Liberty and Garfield/Friendship via Penn Avenue.
The building fills the entire block between Penn Circle West and Beatty Street. Brick and metal siding are used to break up the facade and give it "pattern and rhythm" so it fits within the neighborhood context, says Dina Snider with Strada.
The project also adds about 15 street trees to East Liberty, as well a "tot lot" playground for residents.
Construction started about a year ago, and is expected to be complete by the end of this month.
East Liberty Place was designed to meet the LEED for Homes certification process, and has been built by Sota Construction.
Developer Community Builders has also developed the nearby New Pennley Place and Penn Manor Apartments adjacent to it. With East Liberty Place, The Community Builders now owns and managers 287 units in East Liberty.
So far, 45 of the 54 East Liberty Place units have been leased, and all of the 16 market-rate units have been leased. At market rate, the one-bedrooms are renting for $825 a month, and the two-bedrooms for $1,100.
"We're about two-and-a-half months ahead of where we expected to be at this point in time," says Dudukovich with The Community Builders. "This reflects a shift in how people find apartments. It proves that even mixed-income communities can be attractive to folks who have a plethora of choices."
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Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Dina Snider, principal, Strada; Tamara Dudukovich, regional director of development, The Community Builders
Image courtesy of Strada