Update: Bridge founder says he still wants to buy the former Bishop McDevitt High School
The future of a high-profile redevelopment project in Harrisburg is in jeopardy after the landlord announced this week the property is for sale.
Jeremy Hunter said his company William Penn Holdings is selling the former Bishop McDevitt High School at 2200 Market St. and the Bridge Eco-Village, a for-purpose real estate company, is no longer a tenant.
Hunter, who with investors purchased the 8-acre property in 2019 from the Diocese of Harrisburg for $300,000, said after years of trying to financially help the Bridge, his company had no choice but to sell.
“We no longer want the building to sit there, and because no clear path with the Bridge existed for them to purchase it, we now opened it up to the public and are working with a broker,” Hunter said.
He said the company is also open to leasing or working with a co-developer, noting there could be potential for the Bridge to continue using the property.
Sales information about the 115,000-square-foot building was shared on Facebook and Hunter said they are working with a broker to release a formal sales listing. No price is listed, but Hunter said he expects between $2 million and $2.5 million for a co-development offer.
This week he said he notified Bridge CEO Garry Gilliam Jr. that the group can no longer use the property for activities. As of Friday afternoon, Gilliam didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Harrisburg native and former NFL football player leased the campus in late 2019. At the time, the group announced its vision to transform the collection of classrooms and hallways into a sustainable and self-contained mixed-use eco-village.
Hunter said the group paid a three-year lease and his company worked with the Bridge on lease extensions but was unable to reach an agreement for them to buy it.
The nearly 95-year-old castle-like structure with its twin towers, once an active school until the Harrisburg Diocese closed it in 2012, is in disrepair with peeling paint, boarded-up windows, graffiti and water stains.
The Bridge’s ambitious nearly $54 million redevelopment project calls for a mix of low-income housing, commercial and retail space, co-working, urban agriculture, an innovation/education center and an entertainment venue.
Plans also include an indoor farm with aeroponic systems to grow crops like greens vertically on walls without any soil, solar panels and rainwater collection system, all within the adaptive reuse of a building. The project would be funded through private investors, loans and master leases.
Gilliam, who attended the Milton Hershey School for disadvantaged children, said during a November 2020 groundbreaking, he was inspired by Milton Hershey’s investment in Hershey, laying the blueprint with his creation of an eco-system for his workers and families.
The former Penn State football player who went on to play for the Seattle Seahawks called the Bridge a prototype for similar projects around the country, noting the company planned to purchase more buildings like old schools, malls and warehouses and transform them into similar developments. An eco-village, he explained, has multiple purposes, all in one location – a space to work, eat, learn, live and play.
The Harrisburg project also includes a non-profit arm, Empower at The Bridge Foundation which oversees gardens in the school’s former football field. Produce grown in the gardens, including a bleacher garden, is donated to those in need in the community.
The Bridge appeared to be on the fast track with profiles in national publications including Forbes and Fast Company. The group received a financial boost through a $4 million state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant awarded in 2022.
Yet, a targeted spring 2022 project completion date passed.
“It sounded like a wonderful plan for reusing a wonderful vacant property and a very creative proposal,” said David Morrison, executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association. “Those were the things that sounded good to us, but you know the idea and turning it into reality can be very challenging.”
The Bridge, Morrison noted is like other historic redevelopment projects in the city that have been slow to execute.
Earlier this year, Gilliam said the first phase to create first-floor office space with a coffee-kitchenette and renovate the gym including bathrooms and concession space would begin at the end of this year or early 2025.
“We have to spend $4 million to get the $4 million back, so with that said, it’s nice to have matching funds. So, for companies that are looking to do impact investments or to partner with initiatives like this, that’s still open,” he said.
Earlier this month, possibly in a last-ditch effort to drum up support, The Bridge said it was recruiting vendors and retailers as part of the next phase of development. The group said it was open to a variety of vendors including food, non-profit, entertainment and educational spaces as well as retailers.
This week Gilliam spoke with CBS Channel 21 and gave the television station a tour of the building with no mention of a sale. He also interviewed this week on the Off The Rack podcast.
Hunter said he was more than willing to help the Bridge purchase the building, but in good faith couldn’t sign an agreement he didn’t think was secure. Any debt owed on the building, Hunter said hasn’t been paid because they are negotiating in court with lenders on an exact balance owed.
According to Dauphin County court records, Hunter faced foreclosure in connection with the Market Street property after defaulting on two loans. Hunter’s company owed $714,411 and $1 million, respectively, against loans, including unpaid principal balances, past due, accrued and default interest and late fees, according to the documents.
Dauphin County tax records also show William Penn Holdings owes $10,563 in property taxes for 2023 and an additional $9,442 for 2024.
Hunter said he’s willing to work with any interested parties and is available to give tours. The property was rezoned in 2020 to allow for commercial development and Hunter stressed it is ideal for a number of uses from housing to retail space.
Stressing the Bridge executed good community projects including comedy nights, children’s camps and the gardens, he said he hopes they continue the vision.
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