Are Completed

 Project Uses Ground Source Heat Pumps

The Walnut Street Apartments Project, located at 117 South Walnut Street in the Borough of Lititz, was completed in July of 2005.  In addition to providing 18 units of affordable housing for families, this project met the criteria for the housing rehabilitation approach known as adaptive re-use.  The existing structure had been a shoe factory at one time and then housed at least one other business before it was left vacant.   Owned by two general partners (Community Basics, Inc. and CAP Housing Corporation), the Walnut Street Apartments are located within an established neighborhood, and close to mass transit, open-space recreational facilities and  a downtown retail area.  The project was designed by the Lancaster architectural firm of LeFevre Funk Architects, Inc.

 

 

Another significant feature of these housing units is the use of ground source heat pumps for heating and air-conditioning.  Each apartment has its own system, which provides energy which is free, clean and environmentally friendly.  This heating and cooling system taps into the constant, moderate temperatures (about 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit) found just a few feet below the earth’s surface.

This is accomplished by capturing free energy from the earth by using a series of pipes buried in the ground to create a closed-loop system.  Fluid circulates through the loop and heat energy is transferred from the ground (the heat source) into the fluid and then to a small geothermal unit located in the apartment.  The warm air can be distributed through either a conventional duct system or a hydronic radiant heat system, which is the heating of a building by radiation from panels containing hot water.

To provide air-conditioning, the process is reversed.  Heat is removed from the apartment and transferred to the earth loop fluid.  As the warm fluid travels through the loop in the earth, it is cooled.  In cooling, the earth serves as a “heat sink,” a place to deposit the heat removed from the apartment.  The result is cool, dry air.

This same system can also provide some or all of the hot water needed in the apartment much more efficiently and cheaper than with ordinary methods.  Using a simple connection to the water heater, the geothermal unit will deliver hot water to the heater during the periods of heating and cooling, and, in fact, the hot water supplied by cooling is virtually free.       

 

The Walnut Street Apartments are all-electric units, with an average per month cost of $50, which includes the heating, lighting and appliances.  Five apartments have three-bedrooms. While the rest have two-bedrooms. 

Sixteen of the 18 units are handicap adaptable, while two are specifically designed for accessibility for persons with disabilities.  One of these is a three-bedroom unit that is currently occupied by three female consumers of United Disabilities Services.  All three women use wheelchairs, and special features in their unit include:   an open sink, hand-held shower and a seat in the shower, wider doors and lowered shelves.

The Walnut Street Apartments Project was completed a month ahead of schedule, for a total construction cost of $1,911,139.  Of that total, the Lancaster County Redevelopment Authority provided $243,823 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and $206,177 in Brownfields for Housing Funds to the project.  The balance of the financing for the project was provided by the Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership and the PA Housing Finance Agency.

At this time, the Walnut Street Apartments are fully-leased.  For more information, contact the Lancaster City Housing Authority at (717) 397-2835.