At a meeting of AARP Tuesday afternoon, Indiana County Development Corporation gave an update to the Carriage and Essex house projects in Indiana Borough.
The current plan for the 6.5 acre property that sits on the corner of Oakland Avenue and 13th street is to demolish the Carriage House, while turning the Essex House into primarily affordable housing for seniors. Byron Stauffer with ICDC says that they decided to move forward with the demolition of the Carriage House due to the layout of the building.
The Essex House will become independent living apartments, with many different layouts to accommodate a wide range of residents. The plan also calls for cottage-style, one-level homes to be put up on the property, featuring a court yard.
Stauffer said that so far, things are going well, with just a few challenges.
He says that planning and demolition should be over by 2027, and the new property should open to residents by 2028.
