HERMITAGE, Pa. – LindenPointe is being cast in a new light because of increased demand for housing and changes in the office-space market.

The business campus in Hermitage, Pa., is being positioned as a new option for residential, and some commercial, development. 

The city of Hermitage conveyed approximately 30 acres of the campus to Community Hope Investment Partnership, a nonprofit formed in 2016 to support economic development, Robert Jazwinski, president and a founder of CHIP, says. Construction could begin as early as the end of this year but spring 2026 is more likely. 

CHIP and the city are vetting proposals from developers interested in residential development at LindenPointe, Mark Longietti, director of business and community development for the city, reports. 

More widely known for its incubator and entrepreneurial training, the LindenPointe campus’s current tenants include the eCenter@LindenPointe, Penn-Northwest Development Corp., Wallace Pancher Group and various medical offices and facilities. 

“We’re still in the very beginning stages,” Jazwinski acknowledges. “We have a lot of interest.” CHIP has been working just over a year on the initiative to establish residential development on property south of the various office buildings on the LindenPointe campus. 

“The city and CHIP have similar missions as CHIP seeks to promote economic development in the city,” he says. Several years ago, they collaborated on a project at LindenPointe whereby the city conveyed land there to CHIP and assisted with securing a state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant that helped CHIP build a spec building that ultimately led to Dean Natural Vending locating its headquarters at that building.

Since then, Dean has expanded the building and has grown its workforce from about 15 employees to about 35 employees, he says. 

Housing Shortage

“There’s a shortage of housing in Hermitage, and I think this is probably prevalent throughout the region,” in the aftermath of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, Jazwinski says. At the same time, demand for office space has changed considerably since the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Longietti points to a couple factors driving the need for new housing inventory. One is demand by people interested in living in Hermitage but who cannot find available housing, as reported by real estate agents and through anecdotal conversations and confirmed by a housing market analysis being conducted on the city’s behalf.

Also, there is a desire to grow the city and its tax base. “New housing at LindenPointe will help address both points,” Longietti says.

The planned residential development is expected to consist of multifamily units, likely a mix of condominiums and rental properties, Jazwinski says. 

“A nice multifamily housing development will help create a vibrant, interactive community within the city,” Longietti says. 

“We’re probably looking in the range of 90 to 100 living units,” constructed in phases of 30 to 40 units at a time, he continues. Construction also will proceed with input from developers and real estate professionals regarding the kinds of residences that are in demand.  

“We want any decisions that we make to be based on market data,” Jazwinski says. 

Retail, Commercial

In addition to the 30 acres being eyed for residential development, there are a couple of parcels on the campus that might be best suited for small retail or commercial development. 

“We are working with a potential project there,” Jazwinski says. “It’s really in the very, very early stages, so it’s hard to know how that might develop.”

Longietti says a proposal from a local restaurant is being vetted.  

“They’re really focusing on LindenPointe being that live-work-play type of development” and getting coffee shops or other amenities to support the office community as well as the planned residential component, Rod Wilt, Penn-Northwest’s executive director, says. 

Both Jazwinski and Longietti are optimistic about prospects for the proposed new housing. 

The LindenPointe campus is an “excellent location” for residential development, Jazwinski says. The property is centrally located, and the business park features several walking trails that would be attractive to residents. 

“We believe that a mixed-use development at LindenPointe will create a desirable synergy,” Longietti affirms. “It is a beautiful setting with a mix of businesses, entrepreneurial and co-working space, and walking trails.” 

Photo via Facebook | City of Hermitage, PA