Mellon’s Orchard South Apartments are approx. 85% complete. The development will have 47 units, 37 of which will be affordable. Trek Development expects to be 100% complete by the end of 2020 and to start leasing in January 2021. They are already taking applications for affordable and market-rate units at mellonsorchard.com.
We’ve been working with Trek throughout the planning process to ensure that the new development meets the needs of the community outlined in our 2010 East Liberty Community Plan. Trek has done outreach to find former Penn Plaza Residents to fill the affordable units, and they have over 50 former Penn Plaza residents on the interest list.
The second phase of this development, called Harvard Beatty Housing, has recently received LIHTC funding and is still in planning/development.
All of us at ELDI are excited about what these new developments will bring to East Liberty. Our Deputy Director, Skip Schwab, weighs in on the process:
“Trek was very responsive to the questions and concerns raised at our community planning committee meetings concerning the live/work spaces, site lighting, and bedroom counts. They came back to the committee with revised plans, and we are happy to support their development.”