The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (PA DCED) recently announced that it has awarded $5 million in Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Tax Credits (PA HPTC) to 25 projects across the commonwealth through the FY 2021-2022 PA HPTC Allocation. The next round will open on October 1.
Preservation Tax Credits awarded to 25 projects
State investment by Pennsylvania’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit (PA HPTC) stimulates over an estimated $177 million dollars in rehabilitation expenditures for projects that preserve historic buildings, revitalize communities, and promote local economic development.
The twenty-five projects receiving $5 million in tax credits will leverage with an estimated $177 million in construction projects. In all, 35 applicants had sought over $12.6 million in tax credits for construction projects totaling more than $396 million in estimated costs.
Selected projects range from the conversion of Bishop Boyle School in Homestead, Allegheny County into a market rate apartment to the rehabilitation of the Trexler Manion (Elks Lodge #115) in the Callowhill Historic District into an event venue to the reuse of the Hoyle Harrison & Kaye Textile Mill into an affordable housing and community center in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Here is the full list of FY 2021-2022 projects below:
Bishop Boyle High School, Homestead, Allegheny County – $150,000 tax credit allocation, $2,300,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to rehabilitate the school building into apartment use in the Homestead Historic District.
Garden Theater, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County – $150,000 tax credit allocation, $2,400,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the vacant theater into commercial and apartment use in the Mexican War Streets Historic District.
Gladstone School, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County – $300,000 tax credit allocation, $16,000,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to rehabilitate the vacant school into affordable housing and community space. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on 9/17/2021.
McCance Block, Triangle Building, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County – $250,000 tax credit allocation, $7,900,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to update the vacant commercial building for retail use on the first floor and commercial use on upper floors in the Pittsburgh Central Downtown Historic District.
Trexler Mansion, Reading, Berks County – $250,000 tax credit allocation, $4,300,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the vacant fraternal organization building into event venue with restaurant and banquet spaces in Callowhill Historic District.
Heilig-Meyers Building, Philipsburg, Centre County – $25,000 tax credit allocation, $225,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to update the existing building with new commercial use in Philipsburg Historic District.
Wilson Gift and Grocery Building, Philipsburg, Centre County – $25,000 tax credit allocation, $220,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to update commercial building into retail and apartment use in Philipsburg Historic District.
130 State Street, Harrisburg, Dauphin County – $100,000 tax credit allocation, $750,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the current office building into apartments in Harrisburg Historic District.
25 North Front Street, Harrisburg, Dauphin County – $200,000 tax credit allocation, $1,250,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to update the existing mix-use building into apartments in Harrisburg Historic District.
Wright’s Block, Erie, Erie County – $500,000 tax credit allocation, $3,270,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to update the three-story brick commercial building for commercial and residential use.
514 Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton, Lackawanna County – $50,000 tax credit allocation, $1,600,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the vacant brick building into commercial and apartment use in Lackawanna Historic District.
516 Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton, Lackawanna County – $50,000 tax credit allocation, $2,000,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the vacant brick building into commercial and residential use in Lackawanna Historic District.
518 Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton, Lackawanna County – $50,000 tax credit allocation, $2,500,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to update the commercial and residential brick building in Lackawanna Historic District
Oppenheim Building, Scranton, Lackawanna County – $300,000 tax credit allocation, $12,000,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the 4-story Neo-Classical style building into mix-use of commercial and residential in Lackawanna Avenue Commercial Historic District.
207 N. 8th Street, Allentown, Lehigh County – $50,000 tax credit allocation, $550,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures update the three-story rowhouse’s apartment units in Old Allentown Historic District.
Strawbridge & Clothier Building, Jenkintown, Montgomery County – $200,000 tax credit allocation, $30,000,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the former department store into office and commercial spaces.
Washington Hose and Steam Fire Engine Company, Conshohocken, Montgomery County – $300,000 tax credit allocation, $3,300,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to rehab the fire station into a lobby and restaurant space to support a new six-story hotel connected by a two-story hyphen. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on 11/20/1975.
Edison School, Sunbury, Northumberland County – $100,000 tax credit allocation, $545,710 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the school into office space.
Arguto Oilless Bearing Company Building, Philadelphia – $250,000 tax credit allocation, $3,761,100 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the two-story industrial building into café and office spaces.
C.A. Rowell Department Store, Philadelphia – $250,000 tax credit allocation, $9,150,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to retain first floor retail space and convert vacant upper floors into apartments.
Hoyle Harrison & Kaye Textile Mill, Philadelphia – $300,000 tax credit allocation, $40,000,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to rehabilitate existing mill complex into office, affordable housing, and community spaces.
Leader Theater, Philadelphia – $200,000 tax credit allocation, $2,260,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the existing movie theater into commercial use on all floors. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on 8/9/2021.
Sandoz Chemical Works, Philadelphia – $250,000 tax credit allocation, $6,250,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the former Switzerland-based headquarters building into apartments.
Tioga Mills, Philadelphia – $300,000 tax credit allocation, $14,700,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the textile mill complex into apartments. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on 8/4/2021.
Merchants Cigar Box Company, Dallastown, York County – $350,000 tax credit allocation, $10,167,000 estimated rehabilitation expenditures to convert the vacant former cigar factory into affordable senior housing.
FY 2022-2023 Application Period
The application period for the next round opens October 1, 2022 and closes Monday October 31, 2022.
As a first-come, first-served program, it is recommended to submit your application on October 1, 2022. Please note these dates are published in the reauthorization legislation and are scheduled to be used in future fiscal years. Program guidelines are available at https://dced.pa.gov/programs/historic-preservation-tax-credit-hptc/.
Along with the federal Historic Tax Credit, the PA HPTC incentive can be a great benefit for current or future owners that want to rehabilitate their income producing historic properties.
Interested in learning more?
If you would like to know more about the historic tax credit programs available to rehabilitate historic buildings in Pennsylvania, please visit the Historic Tax Credits page of our website or contact me at shmassey@pa.gov.
