Beech Street Factory apartments ready for rental
POTTSTOWN >> Nearly four years after the project was first proposed to borough council, the $13 million conversion of the former Fecera’s Furniture warehouse into 43 apartments is almost ready to open its doors.
Now called “Beech Street Factory” — the 61,000-square-foot building was first built as the Leibowitz Shirt Factory in 1912 — the 28 apartments in the fourstory portion of the building will be available for rental starting in May, according to Judy Memberg.
She is the executive director of the non-profit Genesis Housing Corp. which has refurbished dozens of houses in the borough as well as done major projects, like the renovation of the former Jefferson Elementary School into senior rental units.
For this project, Genesis partnered with Syracuse, N.Y.-based Housing Visions who together helped to secure $1.2 million in tax credits from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.
The tax credit, necessary to make the finances work, was denied twice, once in 2013 and again in 2014, finally winning approval in 2015; and that only after a packed meeting room convinced borough council to add their own letter of support to the application.
To satisfy council concerns about adequate parking, the project had to acquire a ramshackle blighted property on North Evans Street and knock it down to make room for the 24 parking spaces in the lot across Beech Street from the building.
Before knocking it down, local firefighters were allowed to use the house for a live-training site.
There are another 28 parking spaces behind and alongside the building.
During a walk-through April 13, Memberg said there were few surprises once the project got underway.
“We had to move a few things around in a few bathrooms because of where beams were located, but not too bad. It’s always a little challenging when you’re working in an existing building, especially one this old,” said Memberg.
For example, to maintain high energy efficiency, the developers had to choose between leaving the interior brick exposed, with no insulation, or leaving the signature large windows in place.
They chose the windows, but replaced them with high-energy efficiency windows which not only let in ample sunlight, but offer panoramic views of Pottstown on the upper floors.
The majority of the apartments — 33 of them — are one-bedroom apartments and five of those are handicapped accessible.
There are seven threebedroom apartments, and one of them is handicapped accessible as well, with things like handles in the walk-in tub and a sink under which a wheelchair can roll.
And there are three twobedroom units, all of them lofts.
The one-bedroom apartments rent for $648 per month; the lofts for $867 and the three bedrooms for $900 per month.
In addition to apartments, there will also be — in a few short months — a community art center located on the first floor of the two-story portion of the property.
ArtFusion 19464, now located at 246 High St., will move into the property at some point this summer, once the construction there is complete, confirmed Erika Hornberg-Cooper, who runs the non-profit school and gallery.
The grand opening is expected in the fall.
That is one of the attractions that is meant to attract artists to the rental units.
The apartments will be open for walk-through during the May 6 Arts Walk, and both the High Street and Beech Street locations will be open for the studios tours planned for June 11 and June 12, she confirmed.