An effort to renovate and restore the Berwick House and two neighboring buildings on West Broad Street in downtown Tamaqua is underway, according to state Sen. David G. Argall and state Rep. Jerry Knowles.

The renovations planned for the Berwick House will upgrade 13 existing apartments, in addition to modernizing the elevator, HVAC system, and roof of the building. The rest of the project will include rehabilitating four additional units located in blighted nearby buildings that were vacant for decades.

“A key component in any healthy downtown is quality housing for people of many different income levels,” Argall said.

“This project is just another example of the incredible effort made by Tamaqua and many of its private citizens to breathe new life into a community that we are proud to call home. Day by day, week by week, year by year, since the day we began the restoration of our 1874 train station three decades ago, Tamaqua is making real progress.”

A total of 17 apartments will be made available upon completion. The project will aim to restore the Berwick House to resemble the historic Tamaqua National Bank from decades ago.

The estimated total development cost for this project is $5.7 million.

The project received a $350,000 Affordable Housing Grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, a $500,000 grant from the PennHOMES program, and $485,000 in low-income tax credits from the Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Authority.

The remainder of the funding comes in the form of equity from Riverview Bank.

“I’m happy to see quality housing available in our neighborhoods,” Knowles said. “Housing assistance can make a significant difference in the economic well-being of our families. Our mission should be to help people to live comfortably. I am in total support of this funding.”